Ghosts
by insertcoolname13
Summary: How could it be? If Rey were still alive, she would be 37 by now. But the face that stared back at him was the face of the 19-year-old scavenger girl he had known all those years ago. The girl was Rey.
1. Chapter 1

Finn walked out of the resistance command center, into the burning sun. He'd been in a strategy meeting all day and thought he might die if he didn't get out of there. Feeling the searing heat, he wondered again why they had decided to set up the new base on Jakku. Sure it was remote, but there had to be isolated planets with more pleasant weather. He didn't see how Rey had managed to survive out here for so long. But Rey was always so strong, tough in ways he could never be. She had been so kind too, with the most beautiful smile. "Don't think of Rey," Finn reminded himself. Thinking of Rey always made him sad. How long had it been now? It had to be close to 18 years since he'd seen her. 18 years since Rey had vanished.

Finn entered the base cantina and looked around for Poe. He was sitting at a table near the back. Finn was glad to find him alone, Poe always seemed to be surrounded by a crowd of well-meaning but rowdy friends. "Hey, General!" yelled the pilot. "Over here." Finn walked over to his boyfriend, sitting down across from him.

"God, I told you not to call me that." Finn grabbed the drink Poe held out to him. "It's been a month now and the title still doesn't feel right."

"Well we couldn't expect General Organa to keep doing it forever," insisted Poe. "Especially with all she's been through. I mean not only does her son go crazy and kill her husband but then he goes and disappears, never to be seen again." Poe reached over the table and squeezed Finn's hand. "But they couldn't have picked a better replacement. You've been doing great." Poe tilted his head and regarded his partner. "Are you ok? You seem down tonight."

"I was thinking of Rey again today." The General looked down at the table. "Wondering if she's alright, trying to figure out what could have happened." He looked up and met Poe's eyes. "Wondering if there was anything I could have done."

"You weren't there Finn," Poe reminded him. "She was off with Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To, there one moment and gone the next."

"I know, I know," said Finn. "But if I hadn't been in that coma, maybe she wouldn't have gone to the island in the first place."

"You know she would have." The pilot placed a gentle hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "She wanted to go there to train, you would have never been able to talk her out of it." Poe gave a small smile. "She was stubborn like that." Finn knew he could talk to Poe about anything, but he normally avoided the topic of Rey. Not because it made Poe angry but because it made Finn feel guilty. Poe knew that Finn had been in love with her. "You don't have to feel guilty, I know how you feel about me. I know how we feel about each other. The way you felt about Rey doesn't change anything." Finn couldn't help but grin.

"It's like you can read my mind," he said as he leaned in to give his boyfriend a kiss. "I'm sorry I've been so distant lately. This general thing has me so stressed and I haven't been sleeping well."

"Yeah, I've noticed you have been thrashing around a lot at night." Poe's warm brown eyes were wide with concern. "Have you been having nightmares again?"

"I started having them again a few weeks ago." In the year after Rey's disappearance, Finn's sleep had been plagued by nightmares. Night after night, he heard Rey screaming. Saw her covered in blood, begging for help. His worst fears come to life. Now they were back and more terrifying than ever. "Maybe it's because we are on Jakku, it reminds me of her."

"You can wake me up anytime you need to," Poe reminded him. "You don't have to deal with this alone." Finn was touched by his partner's selflessness. It was one of the things he loved most about him.

"God, I lov…" Finn was interrupted by one of his admirals, Amal, who came running over to the table.

"General! We have an emergency. We've detected a large number of First Order craft rapidly approaching. They must have discovered our location."

"Begin an evacuation." Finn sprang to his feet.

"We don't have time, Sir. They will be arriving in just a few minutes."

"Then we will stand and fight. Try to get as many civilian personnel to safety as possible. Poe, we'll need air support. Get all your pilots together right away." Poe gave Finn a quick kiss on the forehead before running off to gather his men. "Gather our troops and tell them to get into defensive position."

"Yes, General." The admiral raced off.

Finn left the cantina and entered the chaos. Word of the impending attack had spread and everyone was in a panic. "Please!" yelled Finn. "Try to stay calm." For all the response he got, he may as well have been talking to a wall. Then it was too late. First Order ships were landing, doors opened and storm troopers marched out. Blasters began to fire. Finn felt himself hit the ground before feeling the sharp pain that told him he'd been shot. He found himself unable to rise. People ran all around him, screaming in terror. Buildings were being set on fire and the smoke rose up into the darkening sky. X-wings flew overhead, firing at the enemies on the ground.

Groggy with pain, Finn saw a new ship land. It was larger than the others and black while the others were grey. A fresh legion of Stormtroopers exited, running off to join in the attack. They were followed by a dark figure. It was a young woman, a girl really. She was dressed in a heavy black tunic over black leather pants, with a black cloak thrown over her shoulders. Her wild hair, also black, whipped around her face in the desert wind. She took in the scene around her, looking pleased by the carnage. Her gaze fell on Finn, their eyes meeting for just a moment. Suddenly, Finn gasped. How could it be? If Rey were still alive, she would be 37 by now. But the face that stared back at him was the face of the 19-year-old scavenger girl he had known all those years ago. The girl was Rey.


	2. Chapter 2

18 Years Earlier

Rey was not sure what she thought Jedi training would be like but this certainly wasn't it. When she had imagined studying under the legendary Luke Skywalker, Rey had pictured herself mastering the skills of a Jedi with ease. In her head, she learned to wield the force without struggle. She became an expert with a lightsaber in a week. This imaginary Rey was the greatest Jedi to ever live. The reality of the situation was quite different. Training with Master Luke meant meditating in the cold rain for hours on end. It meant spending an entire day trying to move a rock. It meant living in damp cave. It meant listening to Skywalker prattle on and on about letting go of all attachments, about being one with the force. Rey tried to listen and to learn, she really did. But she had begun to wonder if this was really the life for her. As a scavenger, she'd had no choice about what to do with her life. Now that she had a choice, Rey was afraid she was choosing wrong.

"Rey, you aren't very focused this morning." Master Luke looked up from his meditation, focusing his intense gaze on his pupil. It always made Rey nervous when he looked at her that way, as though he could see in to her soul.

"Sorry Master," said Rey guiltily. "I'm just tired, is all." She attempted to return to her meditation but was unable to clear her mind. Rather than finding her center, Rey found distractions.

"Rey, I think we need to have a talk." Master Luke rose to a standing position and motioned for his student to do the same. He led her over to a flat, grey stone on the edge of the cliff and sat down. Rey followed suit. "I have noticed that you seem restless, unsure. I worry that you are regretting your decision to come here." He looked at Rey with such kindness that she felt she had no choice but to be honest.

"I… well training is just not how I thought it would be. I was trapped on Jakku for so long, with no options. I wonder if maybe I didn't fully examine my options before I committed to this." Rey looked at Luke nervously. "But don't want to give up, I don't know what I want."

"I'd like to be able to give you an answer but only you can decide. If you decide to leave, I understand. The life of a Jedi is difficult and lonely, it's not for everyone." Master Luke squeezed Rey's hand briefly. "If you choose to stay, I expect you to be fully devoted to your training. Whatever you choose, just make sure it's right for you." He stood up and turned to face Rey. "Why don't you take a day to decide? I'll give you some time alone." He walked off, leaving Rey more confused than ever. She sat on that stone for what felt like days. Did she really want to be a Jedi? She thought she did, she thought she wanted it more than anything. But maybe not, maybe it was just what everyone expected of her. Were her motives for beginning training completely pure? Was it because she wanted to truly belong to the light side of the force or was it something darker? Maybe this was about revenge, about avenging Han Solo. Perhaps she this was about Kylo Ren. After all, training with Luke Skywalker would be her best chance of defeating the monster. That horrible creature who had stabbed his father, who had put Finn in a coma. That monster, with his big dark eyes. With his sad, soulful face. His gorgeous raven curls, his impossibly tall frame. Rey shuddered and it had nothing to do with the cold air. She wouldn't think of him anymore. But what to do about training? If she wasn't a Jedi, then who was she?

Before she knew it, night had fallen over the island. The air had grown even colder but the clouds had cleared, allowing the stars to shine brightly. It was very quiet; the only sounds were the waves crashing on the rocks far below. Rey got off the stone, she knew what she had to do. It may break Master Luke's heart, but Rey had to do what was best for her. The former student began to walk in the direction of the cave, where Luke was waiting. She never made it. Rey had only taken a few steps when she noticed a small ship flying silently above the island. It landed just as quietly as it had flown, three black cloaked men got out. They started towards Rey. She reached for her lightsaber, only to discover she had left it in the cave. One of the intruders pulled some sort of weapon from his belt. It resembled a blaster, but when he fired it at Rey it shot her with some sort of electrical impulse. She fell to the ground, twitching and unable to speak. The pain blurred her vision and made it impossible to think. The men gathered around her, looking at her as though she were a grand prize they had won. "Hello Scavenger," one of them snarled. "Our master is quite eager to see you." Something struck Rey on the head and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Finn followed the sound of the crying, down the dark winding hallways. He ran, feeling a desperate need to reach the source of the sobbing. It was clearly a matter of life or death; if he didn't get there on time, people would die. He finally came to a dead end. Someone stood at the end of the hall, their face hidden by a black hood. Finn approached the crying figure, reaching out a hand to pull off the hood. To his shock Kylo Ren stared back at him, with tears streaming down his face. He looked at Finn with immense sadness. "I didn't know what they were going to do," he whispered. Suddenly he morphed into Rey, who reached out to caress Finn's face gently.

"I tried to run but I couldn't," said Rey. She looked at Finn, desperation in her eyes. "You have to help her!"

"Help who?" Finn asked.

"None of this is her fault," Rey insisted.

"That's not an answer!" Finn was growing frustrated. "Rey, who needs my help?" The girl became Kylo Ren again, who grabbed Finn roughly by the shoulders. He was no longer crying, he was angry.

"She never had a chance!" He let go of Finn, who fell to the ground.

Finn awoke with a start, shaking and covered in cold sweat. He lay still for a moment, panting. Slowly he began to move and take in the unfamiliar surroundings. He was lying in a large bed, covered with a soft grey blanket. The room was furnished elegantly, everything being ornately carved and made of expensive materials. His bed faced an enormous window, with a magnificent view of a bustling city. Poe Dameron slept in a chair near the bed, his head lolling on to his chest. The sight calmed Finn a bit, he reached out and ran his fingers through his lover's dark curls. Poe's eyes opened slowly. "Hey I'm glad you're up," he said with a sweet smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll be fine. Where are we?"

"General Organa's apartment on Coruscant." Poe got out of his chair and lay next to Finn on the bed. "The First Order destroyed the base but most of us got away. I brought you here to heal up, Admiral Amal is busy establishing a new base. I'm not sure where yet, he will send us the coordinates once you recover." He rolled over to face Finn. "Besides him, no one knows we are here. It would be too dangerous."

"I can't believe I got shot," Finn lamented. "I'm supposed to be a general."

"Don't worry about it, getting hit by a blaster was hardly your idea." Poe leaned over and kissed Finn's forehead. "And you will be fine, you just need to rest for a few days."

"I'm not so sure, I think I might be going insane."

"Why do you say that?" asked Poe.

"Before I passed out, I saw Rey. She was dressed in black, fighting for the First Order but I swear it was her She hadn't aged a day." Finn looked at his boyfriend, watching for his reaction. "And then while I was out I had this terrible dream. Rey was in it but so was Kylo Ren. They were crying and begging for me to help someone, but they wouldn't tell me who. When I asked, they got angry."

Poe looked surprised. "Kylo Ren was crying? That hardly sounds like him."

"He was almost more upset than Rey."

"They want you to save someone?" Poe seemed to be taking Finn seriously, which was a huge relief.

"Yeah, some girl. They kept insisting that nothing was her fault. Kylo told me that she never stood a chance."

"A young girl that looked exactly like Rey? You don't think she could be…"

"No!" Finn cut him off. "How would Rey have had a daughter?"

"I know it's hard to think about but we don't know what's happened or where she's been. She's been gone a long time, they both have. There has to be a connection."

"I know Luke thought she ran away, but he was wrong! Rey would have told me if she were leaving and there's no way she would have gone anywhere with Kylo Ren." Finn was beginning to grow hysterical. He had spent years trying to convince everyone that Rey must have been taken. Everyone believed him at first. It was assumed she had been abducted by the First Order. Bases had been searched, strongholds raided, prisoners interrogated. All came up empty. Luke Skywalker suggested that maybe Rey didn't want to be found. Then Kylo Ren stopped making appearances. Neither were heard from again. Finn remained convinced that Ren had something to do with Rey's disappearance. Now they were appearing in dreams together and as he thought about it, he realized the girl's hair was the same color as Kylo's. Looking back, she may have had his sharp chin as well. But it couldn't be true! How could it? And why would Rey's child be with the First Order?

"I'm sorry love but you have to consider the possibility." Poe tried to reach for his boyfriend's hand but Finn snatched it away. He sat up and glared at his partner.

"You didn't know her like I did! She would never have fucked Ren, let alone given birth to his spawn. She hated him." A new, terrible thought dawned on him. "Oh god Poe! What if he forced himself on her?" Finn felt like he might vomit. "I'll hunt him down and slit his throat."

"Please try to calm down." Poe looked worried. "You don't know that's what happened. We have absolutely no information. We need to find out more about this girl before we do anything." Finn knew he was right. If Rey wanted him to help this girl, he would have to try.


	4. Chapter 4

Standing in Snoke's throne room, Kylo Ren had no idea what to expect. He had come to this place six long months ago to complete his training. Where exactly this place was, even he didn't know. It was a massive underground complex located on some distant planet, far from civilization. This was the Supreme Leader's stronghold. Only a select few were allowed here and even fewer knew the location. Hux had brought him here after the incident on Starkiller Base. After the wounds inflicted by the scavenger had healed, a newly scarred Ren was brought to Snoke. Walking into this very throne room, he had been hit with an overwhelming sense of terror. What would the Supreme Leader do to him? He had completely fucked up. His emotions had gotten the best of him, he had let Rey get under his skin. Hux had told him that Snoke wanted him to complete his training. The frightening laugh that accompanied this piece of information had done nothing to quiet his nerves. As Kylo had approached Snoke, seeing him in person for the first time, he half expected to be killed on the spot. At the very least he had expected Snoke to lash out in some way, to be angry. But the Supreme Leader had surprised him. Instead of striking his pupil dead, Snoke greeted him with a smile. "Kylo Ren," he said. "I'm glad to see you recovered."

"Thank you Supreme Leader," Kylo responded in a shaky voice.

"Are you nervous Ren?" Snoke had asked, faking concern.

"I hear I am to complete my training; I'm wondering what that entails."

"I'm glad you asked, come closer." Kylo approached his master, kneeling at his feet. Snoke smiled again, it sent chills shooting down Ren's spine. "You let your pain control you Ren, both physical and emotional. I'm going to make you immune to pain."

So had begun the worst months of Kylo Ren's life. He had been forced to endure every kind of pain imaginable. Kylo had been beaten to near death, deprived of food, and kept awake for days. He had been given some sort of drug that had forced him to relive all of his worst memories, over and over again. Snoke sent him horrible visions and terrifying nightmares. He cried, screamed, and begged for it to stop. Just when Kylo thought he couldn't take anymore, there was some form of new torture waiting for him. He had never doubted the Supreme Leader before but Kylo had to wonder if this was really related to his training or if it was just punishment for his defeat. Maybe it was a reminder of Snoke's power. Slowly, Kylo had stopped screaming. He stopped asking for it to end. There was just no point.

Then, it had stopped. Snoke didn't call for him anymore, sent him no messages, and didn't speak to him. Kylo Ren was forgotten, left to his own devices. In some ways, this was more frightening than the torture. For weeks, this went on. Kylo had been reduced to pacing around his room out of boredom and muttering to himself due to lack of company. He worried he was beginning to go mad. Then, out of the blue, he had been summoned to the throne room. This was where he waited now. The Supreme Leader sat on his enormous throne, with Kylo standing on his right side. "Ren," said Snoke suddenly. "You have done well with your training. You can now withstand any pain, with no emotional reaction. Pain no longer rules you. I am pleased." Kylo felt a tiny bit of relief. So it had all been a part of his training after all. He turned to look at his master.

"I'm very happy to have pleased you and I'm glad to have completed my training at last."

"Oh no, Ren. You still have one more phase to complete." Snoke smiled that despicable smile. "And I have a gift, to help you do it." Just as he finished speaking, the massive doors swung open. Three Knights of Ren walked in, dragging some sort of bag behind them. Two of the Knights were unfamiliar, one he knew to be called Jaynce Ren. He was a favorite of Snoke's.

"Forgive us Supreme Leader," Jaynce said. "I know you wanted her unharmed but she woke up on the ship and fought like mad. I'm afraid she's a little beat up." Kylo couldn't help but notice that the knights looked a little worse for the wear as well. They certainly hadn't come through unscathed.

"That's alright, Jaynce. I thought she would." Snoke gestured to the Knights. "The three of you will leave us now." Suddenly, what Kylo had thought was a bag moved. It made a small sound that sounded like a moan. He looked closer and gasped. It was no bag; it was the scavenger Rey! Kylo also saw that a little beat up was a massive understatement. The girl was covered in dark purple bruises and was bleeding in several places, including her nose and lip. Her eyes were covered by a blindfold, her hands bound behind her back. She was a pitiful sight. That was, until she opened her mouth.

"Where the hell am I?" She struggled to get to her feet. "If you don't release me this instant, I swear I'll make you hurt in ways you didn't know were possible! I can do it too, believe me I'm tougher than I look. If I hadn't been tied up, those bastards would be dead."

"Well Ren, she wants to know where she is. Go remove her blindfold, your face can be the first thing she sees." Kylo had no choice but to trudge over to the girl and do as his master said. Rey was hardly pleased to see him.

"You monster!" she screeched. "I should have known."

"Oh don't be angry with him my girl," said Snoke calmly. "This was all my idea, you are going to help him complete his training."

"Like hell I will!" Even now, Kylo had to admire Rey's ferocity. The girl had guts, no doubt about it. However, he was confused.

"Master, how can she help me?" he asked.

"You have completed nearly all of your training. Your final task is to bring this child of the light over to our side. Prove your loyalty, make me a new knight. I don't' care what methods you use. She will be your little pet project, in addition to the regular duties that you will be resuming." Kylo could only stare. Snoke had to know the task was impossible. Rey was so light it nearly made him ill. "Oh don't doubt yourself Ren," said Snoke. He must have sensed Kylo's dread. "I'm sure she will see truth soon enough." He waved them off. "Now take your present and go, I'll call for you if I have need of you again."

Kylo grabbed Rey's arm and pulled her out the door. Once they were in the corridor, she turned to glare at him. "You shouldn't even bother. I'll never give in." The Knight of Ren regarded the prisoner and thought of the impossible task at hand.

"I know," was all he said.


	5. Chapter 5

Hux entered the underground training room and looked around for the girl. She was over in the corner, sparring against two of Snoke's most trusted knights. The general walked over to the edge of the ring and sat on a bench to enjoy the fight. The girl took notice of his presence but said nothing, focusing on the task at hand. While the men were dressed in heavy armor, she wore only simple black pants and a tunic. She didn't even wear shoes. Still, the knights were getting their asses kicked. The teen seemed to be everywhere at once, so fast that her opponents couldn't even get close enough to get a hit. Able to anticipate their moves, the girl was always ready. She was brutal too, one of the men was sporting a bloody nose and the other seemed to be limping. Cornering one of the knights, the girl hit him hard in the ribs. He fell over with a groan. Had the saber not been made of wood, the man certainly would have been dead. She then turned to the other knight, unleashing a furious attack. Their fake blades clashed just a few times before he was disarmed. The girl kicked him to the ground, then gave his face stomp for good measure. She then threw down her blade and walked over to where Hux sat. "Maybe you should go a little easier on them next time, Lyra. Snoke will run out of men to train with you," he said.

"I was going easy on them," said Lyra. She looked back at the knights with distain. They had managed to pull themselves up and were leaving the room. "Not my fault they couldn't handle it." She rolled her eyes. Hux noticed that Lyra didn't seem particularly pleased by her victory, it was a daily occurrence for her. She had been beating grown men since she was seven years old and swinging sabers since she could walk. "So where have you been?" Lyra asked. "You've been gone forever."

"I was off on business for the Supreme Leader. Meeting with some of our commanders, lots of talking and politics."

"Sounds like a good time, sorry I missed it."

"Yes I can tell." Hux smiled in the way he only did when Lyra was around. "I did have the opportunity to do a bit of shopping. As I recall, you had a birthday while I was away." Lyra tried not to look excited.

"I might have."

"How old are you? You must be around ten by now," Hux teased.

"Try 17," Lyra giggled. The man reached into his pocket and removed a small silver necklace. He dropped it into Lyra's hand. "Oh, it's gorgeous!" She went to put it around her neck, then hesitated and tried to hand it back. "I don't think Snoke will like it." Hux sighed. Had it been left up to Snoke, Lyra probably wouldn't have known when her birthday was. The Supreme Leader couldn't concern himself with such things. But Hux could never forget. The day of Lyra's birth had been one of the worst of his life. He saw it in his nightmares.

"Just don't wear it in front of him," said Hux. "I won't tell if you won't." Lyra smiled and put the jewelry on.

"Thank you, I love it."

"Oh, and there's one more thing." Hux reached back into his jacket and pulled out a small cake. Lyra gasped. "Holy shit!" She grabbed the cake and stuffed it in her mouth. Hux didn't blame her, she hardly ever got to eat sweets. The girl had been on a special diet since she could chew. She brushed the crumbs off her shirt and beamed, showing dimples that were normally hidden by a scowl.

"Don't mention this to Snoke either," said Hux. He didn't know why the child had such an effect on him. The affection he felt for her had crept up on him over the years. He had never doubted the Supreme Leader before Lyra's birth, now he couldn't seem to stop. Some disturbing gossip had reached his ears and had him worried. "So I hear Snoke sent you on a mission while I was gone." Lyra looked down at the floor.

"Yeah, just a raid on a base. No big deal."

"He thinks you're old enough? He thinks you're ready?"

"I guess so. I mean, I've been training to do this my whole life." In that moment, she had never looked more like her father. Her face was calm but her eyes told a different story, she looked as though she were imagining herself far away. Lyra was pretending to be anyone other than who she was. It broke what was left of Hux's heart.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We destroyed the base but the new general got away. Not everyone did though." Hux didn't need to ask if Lyra had participated in the killing, her eyes said it all. "I mean, it's all for the good of the first order. All for the Supreme Leader," she said. Hux decided to change the subject.

"But you got to leave the compound! That must have been amazing." The girl hardly ever left the underground complex. Snoke couldn't risk anything happening to his protégée. Lyra's eyes lit up and she became her mother's clone again.

"It was! I actually got to see a bit of the galaxy." She went on to describe all she has seen in exquisite detail, avoiding any mention of the actual mission. Hux sat next to her and listened, a smile on his face. Lyra was happy for once; he could listen to her talk for hours.

The next day, Hux was called to Snoke's throne room. He went of course, there was no way to avoid it. One didn't say no to the leader of the First Order. He felt a bit of anxiety as he entered the chamber. What if Snoke had found out about the gift? "Yes, General Hux. I know about the gift." Snoke looked down at the general. "Nor can I say I'm particularly surprised, you always have had a soft spot for the girl."

"I'm sorry, Supreme Leader." Hux dropped to his knees.

"I'm not angry Hux, I'm concerned." Snoke motioned for Hux to rise. "I fear that you are distracting Lyra from her purpose. She has a great destiny to fulfill."

"I just feel sorry for her, nothing more. She has always been such a lonely child, what with her parents abandoning her." He gave Snoke a meaningful look.

"She isn't a normal child; Lyra is my secret weapon. I'm finally ready to use her, she can't have any distractions."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

"Good, you may go then." Hux left the room and began to walk back to his chambers. He played the conversation over again in his head and began to feel sick. What did Snoke mean when he said he was ready to use his weapon?


	6. Chapter 6

For three long days, Rey was left alone in Kylo Ren's chamber. She was unsure why they had chosen to leave her here rather than a cell and though it was certainly more comfortable, it made her nervous. Kylo had brought her here straight from Snoke's audience chamber, undoing her handcuffs once the door was shut. Rey had rubbed her wrists and looked at Kylo with hatred. "So, when does my seduction to the dark side begin?" She gave a small, defiant laugh. "Bring on the torture."

"Your training will begin tomorrow, Scavenger." He slumped down in a chair, looking absolutely exhausted. He buried his face in his hands for a moment, before looking at Rey again. "You laugh now but you'll see reason soon. I'll show you the ways of the force, like I told you I would before. I'll teach you things your precious Master Luke never could."

"He's not my Master anymore." Kylo looked surprised.

"Oh?"

"I decided to give up Jedi training the moment before I was taken. The idea of being a Jedi sounded great but I didn't agree with the teachings. I won't deny any part of myself, anger and fear are part of what make me human. But I won't ignore the good either, not like you have."

"I deny what makes me weak."

"Is that why you had to kill your father? Did he make you weak?"

"I won't do this with you Rey," Kylo snapped. "Get some rest, you'll need your strength for tomorrow." At his words, Rey felt a sharp pang of fear.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"On a chair or the floor, what do I care?" He turned and walked through the door to what must have been his bedroom. Rey had lain down on the floor, knowing there was no way she would be able to sleep that night.

Training was not to begin the next day. Snoke sent Kylo off on some sort of mission and Rey was left on her own. At first, she was relieved but boredom soon caught up with her. She attempted to meditate to pass time but she had never been good at that in the best of circumstances. She found a few books and read them cover to cover. Attempting to stay in shape, she stretched and ran laps around the room. Naps were also an excellent way to pass the time. Rey continued to sleep on the floor, though since Kylo was gone she probably could have slept in his bed. The idea made her uncomfortable. She also kept wearing her increasingly dirty beige outfit. The delivery droids that brought her food also brought a change of clothes, a set of heavy black robes. Rey threw them down the garbage shoot.

Soon, she ran out of things to do and found herself almost wishing Kylo would come back. At least it was something to do. Finally, while Rey sat reading, he did. "Where have you been? Off destroying more planets?" she asked when he entered the room.

"You don't waste any time, do you?"

"I've been wasting plenty of time, here waiting."

"Well, we won't be wasting anymore. Now that I'm back, your training can begin. I'm ready to be your teacher."

"I told you, I'm not going to train. I won't be light but I certainly won't be dark." Rey stood up and crossed her arms. Kylo was fuming.

"You are the most stubborn creature I've ever met!" he exploded. "Not to mention stupid. What do you think is going to happen? That Snoke is just going to let you go if you can't be turned? Well I have news for you, he'll kill us both."

"I'd rather be dead than be like you."

"What would be the point in that? If you are alive at least you can fight back. Dying would be giving up, taking the coward's way out. That's not who you are, Rey. You're a fighter."

"How do you know what I am?" Rey was furious. "You don't know anything about me."

Kylo took a step closer to her, then another. They were so close their foreheads were nearly touching. Rey could feel his breath on her face when he whispered. "I know you. I understand you better than anyone else."

"And how is that?" Rey found herself whispering back.

"Because we are just alike. I don't want to die either. We may be on different sides and have different motives but I'd also like to live to fight another day."

Rey took a step back. She had never hated anyone so passionately, not even the scum of Jakku could compare to Kylo Ren. Still, she knew deep down that he was right. Rey was no martyr; she never gave up no matter how shitty life became. There was no way she would willingly die, not while she could live and help fight Snoke. The only way to do that was to pretend to go along with his plan. Maybe she could gain Kylo's trust and escape. "I hate to admit it but you're right. I'll train with you. But I won't call you master."

Kylo rolled his eyes. "I didn't expect you would."

"When do we start?"

"As soon as you change your clothes."


	7. Chapter 7

When Finn told General Organa of his suspicions, he thought she might faint. Or maybe cry. Leia Organa did neither of these. Strong to the very end, she stood up and walked to the sitting room window. She stared quietly at the city, her silence being the only indication of her feelings. Finn had always admired the General's control. Despite her age, she remained a true politician. However, it was clear she was upset by his announcement. "So, you're telling me my son has a daughter?" she finally asked. "That I'm a grandmother?"

"I'm not sure but it looks that way." Finn went to stand near Leia. "She's working for Snoke. I think she's been with him for a while."

"So she's lost too. Just like my son." She continued to look out the window. "And my husband."

"We don't know that for sure," said Finn. "In my dream, both Rey and your son told me to save her. They were sure she could be redeemed."

"I thought Ben could be too. I was sure of it." Leia turned to face Finn. "And then he murdered the man I loved."

"Maybe he was saved. After all, he and Rey had this girl. And he seemed upset about her being with Snoke, devastated even."

"Then where is he? Where is Rey?" Leia was beginning to lose her calm, anger and despair were creeping into her voice. "We tried to find Rey for so long. Losing her killed my brother, the last of my family. It was too much for him." Finn felt terrible for General Organa and wondered if he'd made a mistake in telling her about the girl at all. What if they couldn't save her? Losing Rey had broken Luke Skywalker's heart. He'd blamed himself, just like he had for all the others. The former Jedi Master had ended his own life. What if the loss of her grandchild pushed Leia over the edge?

"I can't make any promises, General." Finn met the woman's eyes. "But I'll do all I can to find out what happened to Rey and your son. I'll try my best to save your granddaughter and bring her home."

Leia looked at him sadly. "We searched for Rey for years. Luke couldn't even find her force signature. What makes you think this time will be any different?"

"I don't know that it will be," Finn sighed. Rey was the first person to have faith in him, his first real friend. She believed in him the way no one ever had. He owed her this much. "But if there is a chance this girl is Rey's daughter; I have to try."

"I know how much Rey meant to you," said Leia.

"Means to me," Finn corrected. "I'm not coming back until I find out what happened to her."

Leia nodded grimly. "Look after yourself, General."

A few days later, Finn was ready to leave. He packed a small bag of essentials and put it on board the ship he borrowed from General Organa. Poe would take the ship they had arrived on to join back up with the resistance. "I wish you would let me go with you," Poe whined.

"Admiral Amal will need your help while I'm gone. He's not used to running things. And besides," Finn said with a grin "you need to look after BB-8."

"Oh yes, the droid gets so lonely." Poe pulled his partner into his arms and kissed him deeply. His face became serious. "You be careful. I won't lose you, not for the entire galaxy." He squeezed Finn even tighter."Not even for Rey's daughter."

"And you won't." Finn kissed his boyfriend again. "I love you Poe, I'll be back soon. With the girl, I just know it." He lowered his voice. "Maybe even with Rey."

"I love you too. Try to contact me if you can."

"I promise, I will." Finn began to get on the ship, turning around to wave at Poe one last time. Then he forced himself to board. Once he was sitting in the cockpit, Finn realized he didn't really know where to go. Where should he start? Then, suddenly, he knew. "Rey was last seen on Ahch-To. Whatever happened, that was where it started." Finn didn't understand it but he felt some sort of pull towards the planet. Something, or someone, was pushing him there. He started up the borrowed ship and took off. "Whoever you are I hear you," he thought. "I'm on my way."


	8. Chapter 8

The weeks flew by and Kylo was completely blown away by Rey's progress. He was surprised by her sudden devotion to learning the ways of the Dark Side, especially since she'd been so against it originally. He'd expected her to drag her feet a little, to be a little reluctant to give up her old ways. But no, she had thrown herself into training and was proving to be a remarkable student. Rey especially excelled in hand to hand combat, though it had taken a bit of time for her to master the new style. Refining her rather rough technique had been difficult, though harnessing anger and turning it to strength came fairly easy to her. Kylo had been surprised. "Maybe because I've got so much in my past to be angry about. Remember? You saw the loneliness and pain when you looked into my head," was her reply when he'd asked. That shut him up. Kylo was also surprised how well Rey was doing with her meditation. She'd told him it had always been a weak point for her. However, she was doing magnificently. Rey was able to sit for hours. "I never could clear my head," she told him. "This is different. I can feel the power in the universe flowing through me. I could just be still and feel it forever." She'd smiled her beautiful smile. Kylo forced himself to look away. Rey's ability to bend the force to her will was steadily improving as well, she was soon able to send large objects flying through the air. "Much bigger than a lightsaber," she teased after managing to lift a heavy weight. Kylo should have been pleased Rey was doing so well. Snoke would certainly be pleased and may even reward him. But Rey's easy acceptance of his teachings and readiness to abandon her ideals made him uneasy.

Rey's progress was not the only thing that was making Kylo Ren uneasy. He found himself increasingly drawn to his pupil. He found himself noticing how her eyes twinkled when she learned a new skill, how gracefully her limbs moved when she practiced her forms. The way her lips moved when she read the history books he gave her. They spent all their time together. They ate together, trained together, spent their evenings together. At night, only a door separated them. The only time the two were apart was when Kylo was sent away on business for the Supreme Leader and on these missions, he found himself missing her. Soon, Kylo was forced to admit he may be attracted to Rey. Surprisingly, that was not the most disturbing part. What was truly frightening was that Rey seemed to be encouraging him. There was no way that could be true. No way at all. Yet somehow it was. She teased, flirted, and joked. She watched for his reactions whenever she attempted some new feat. After successfully invading the mind of an unfortunate Knight of Ren, she nearly embraced him. Kylo once accidently walked in on her coming out of the shower. Rather than rush to cover herself, she'd stood there and stared at him. She had even given him a little smile. Kylo had forced himself to turn away from her wet, naked body. He couldn't stop thinking about her. She was in his dreams every night and on his mind all day. Kylo thought he might be going mad.

This ridiculous little crush was beginning to have a serious impact on Kylo's ability to teach. In order to truly be one with the Dark Side, Rey would need to experience a lot of very real pain. And Kylo would have to be the one to inflict it. He knew he wouldn't be able to; he couldn't even bear to think about hurting Rey. Which made it impossible for her to proceed any farther. Maybe that was all part of her plan. Agree to train with him to earn his trust. Flirt with him to make him like her. Distract him with her pretty smile. Kill him the moment he let his guard down. Or maybe she was genuine after all. Unlikely, but it was enough to keep Kylo up at night. And enough to delay Rey's training.

"When are you going to teach me something new?" she asked him one afternoon, after they sat down for a rest. She had just run through her forms for about the thousandth time that week. "I can't remember the last time you taught me a new skill."

"You're exaggerating," Kylo said. "You just learned new defensive moves last week. You need to master what I've already shown you before we move on." It wasn't true, at least not completely. There was not much else he could show Rey, not until he worked up the nerve to do what had to be done.

"I have!" she insisted. "Kylo I'm ready. Why are you holding back?"

"You need to learn patience."

"That's not it. There's something you aren't telling me."

"I don't need to tell you everything." Kylo turned away from Rey, refusing to meet her eyes.

"I have a right to know."

"You don't understand!" Kylo cried as he jumped to his feet. "You have no idea how horrible things become from here. When you agreed to train, I thought I could handle it. But I can't do it, I can't hurt you!" He stopped, realizing that he had been shouting. Rey stood up and put a delicate hand on his shoulder. Kylo shrugged it off. "And I'm sure it was all part of your plan." Rey frowned.

"What plan it that?" she asked.

"To get me to trust you, to get me to like you. Making it impossible for me to continue your training. Giving you plenty of time to plan an escape."

"Well, clearly I'm much more devious than I thought. Maybe I have been talkative, maybe I have been smiling a bit. But it's not part of some master plan. It's because I've gotten to know you. I can't see you as a monster now. You aren't perfect but you are a person. Despite all you've done, you're human." Kylo was completely taken aback. Could Rey really mean what she said?

"Then… you meant all that?" he stuttered.

"Every word, every smile." Rey stepped closer to Kylo. "I want to hate you but I can't. There is just something about you." She wrapped her arms around him, stood on her toes so their eyes met. Their bodies were barely an inch apart. Kylo couldn't believe what was happening, he had to be dreaming.

"You're scarring me a little," he whispered.

"Don't be afraid, I feel it too." Rey pulled him closer and pushed her lips gently against his.


	9. Chapter 9

Hux spent the next few days avoiding Lyra. It wasn't terribly hard, Snoke didn't allow her to spend much time in any common areas. Social interaction was an unnecessary distraction. Besides, even amongst Snoke's loyal followers she might pick up dangerous ideas or bad habits. Lyra ate alone, slept alone, and trained alone. She believed everything the Supreme Leader told her. Why wouldn't she? After all, Snoke had generously taken her in after her parents ran off to join the Resistance. At least, that was what Lyra had been thought. "Both of them traitors," Snoke had told her repeatedly. "So gifted too, very strong in the Force. A shame they ran off and left you behind." Hux knew exactly what voice Snoke used on the next part. It was kindly, with just a touch of anger at Lyra's treacherous parents. "They never wanted a child in the first place. You were nothing to them but an inconvenience." He always managed to sound so sympathetic, as though he actually cared about the girl. "I could have thrown you out or sent you away. But I saw something special in you child, from the moment you were born. You are destined for greatness. It's you who will destroy the resistance. And it's my duty to guide you." So, Lyra was understandably loyal to Snoke and rarely questioned him. She also hated the Resistance with a fierce passion that boarded on fanatical. Of course she did, the organization had stolen her parents away. She was eager to fulfill what she believed to be her destiny.

Many times over the years, Hux had considered telling Lyra the truth. That Snoke was not what he claimed to be. That her conception had been a well-orchestrated plan. That her parents hadn't left her willingly. That she had been wanted, she had been fiercely loved. Lyra certainly had a right to know. But he just couldn't do it. Snoke would have found out and certainly killed him. Then he would be gone and Lyra would have no one. There would be no one to remember her birthday, no one to bring her sweets. No one to give her any kind of love. And Hux did love her, more than he cared to admit. But that wasn't the only reason he kept silent, not all of his motivations were so selfless. If Lyra knew the truth, she would hate him. If she knew what he had done, what he had helped Snoke do, she wouldn't even be able to look at him. Hux couldn't stand the thought of losing Lyra, so he kept quiet and continued to hate himself.

Three days after his conversation with Snoke, Hux sat in his private chambers reading the morning reports when there was a sharp knock at the door. He opened it and came face to face with a very angry Lyra. She stepped into the room without waiting for an invitation. "Hello General," she said. "I just came to ask why you have been avoiding me these past few days." Her hazel eyes demanded an answer. She was always so direct, just like her mother. He decided to take the same approach.

"I had a talk with the Supreme Leader. He feels I've been spoiling you and fears I'm becoming a distraction."

"Spoiling me? By giving me some cake?" She gave a little snort of distain. "Sugar is hardly going to cause me to abandon my training."

"I know, I know." Hux sighed. "But you can't exactly argue with the Supreme Leader."

"True." They exchanged glances. Dealing with Snoke was something they both understood well. "But a few visits now and again can't hurt, right?" It could hurt very much if Snoke decided to get involved but Hux decided not to mention that.

"I guess not. But just every once in a while. And I can't sneak you any more food, Snoke will have my head if he finds out I did."

"Oh, speaking of Snoke, I just came from a talk of my own. He's given me my first solo mission."

"What is it?" Hux asked nervously. Surely 17 was too young to be sent alone.

"Well, you remember that old general? General Organa? Well Snoke says that even though she retired, she's still a huge symbol for the Resistance. A figure head. If she were to die, moral would plummet. I'm supposed to assassinate her." Hux nearly choked.

"Kill General Organa?" he managed to sputter. "When?"

"I leave next week. Snoke says she's on Coruscant."

"But why you? Can't he leave it to someone else?"

"I'm glad he didn't," Lyra insisted. "It's a chance to prove myself." Hux knew why Lyra had been given this assignment. Snoke would get a kick out of having Lyra murder her grandmother. It was completely sick.

"She's just an old lady," he said. "Lyra, she's completely harmless now."

"I would have thought you'd be happy for me." Lyra looked hurt. "Hux, I've been waiting my entire life to do something like this. It's a step closer to ending the Resistance for good."

"I am, really I am." Hux practically pushed Lyra out the door, his mind was racing. "Now get to your training. I'll see you later."

"Um, okay bye then." She walked down the hall. Hux left the room too and ran in the opposite direction. He had to get out of there, find somewhere to think. He'd been silent for so long, never interfered with Snoke's plans. But this was just too much. He couldn't let Lyra do this, he couldn't stand by while she killed her only living family member. But what could he do? He didn't have an answer. Right now, he needed to get away from the compound. He ran into the hanger.

"Hey! You there," he shouted at a pilot boarding a Tie Fighter. "I need your ship for official business." He knew he would be obeyed, General Hux always was around here. Sure enough, the woman jumped out of the cockpit and allowed Hux to board. But where to go? He needed someplace quiet, peaceful. Somewhere he could figure out a plan. Suddenly, he knew. He had never felt so strongly about anything in his life. Somehow, Hux knew that he needed to go there. He took off and headed for the isolated planet, Ahch-To.


	10. Chapter 10

Rey didn't know what had come over her. All had been going according to plan. She would get close to Kylo, gain his trust and find a way out. Rey was a model student, focused and eager to learn. She was friendly and just a little flirtatious. Kylo Ren seemed to be falling for it. He had begun to let his guard down, no longer locking his bedroom door at night and he had begun to allow Rey a bit more freedom. She was now allowed to leave their chambers alone for short periods of time, to visit the library or to train on her own. Rey kept on the lookout for opportunities to escape, finding none. But surely if things kept going the way they were, she would figure something out even if that meant killing Kylo Ren. So yes, everything was going according to plan. Then why was Rey feeling so confused? Why did she lay awake at night thinking about him? She found herself noticing Kylo in ways she hadn't before. Noticing his height, his beautiful dark eyes. How strong he felt as he guided her in her forms, how pleasantly large his hands were. The way his eyes crinkled when he flashed a rare smile. Rey began to find that she enjoyed their time together and that she missed Kylo when he was sent away. She felt chills whenever they touched. Sometimes, he found his way into her dreams. Once, Kylo had walked into the bathroom as she was getting out of the shower. Rather than rush to cover herself, she had let him look. Then she had kissed him. And he had kissed her back. What was happening to her? She had set out to fool him. Could it be possible that she had fooled herself? Was it possible that she was actually attracted to Kylo Ren?

A few days had gone by since the fateful kiss. Kylo had been the one to end it, pulling away from Rey with a look of complete shock on his face. "Um, I'd say that's enough for today," he had stammered. "I mean enough training, not enough… well you know what I mean!" He had stomped off, leaving Rey alone. She had lain down on the floor and starred up at the grey ceiling. The kiss had definitely not been part of the plan. She found herself replaying it over and over in her head. How soft his lips had felt against hers. The way he had slipped his tongue into her mouth for just a moment before pulling away. It had been just enough to make Rey want more, she couldn't think about anything else. She wondered if Kylo felt the same way. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss, tiptoeing around each other and only speaking when necessary. Finally, Kylo spoke up. "Rey, we need to talk about what happened." They were sitting together at their little table, eating dinner. Rey nearly choked on her food. Taking a big gulp of water, she took a moment to collect herself. She finally managed to speak in what she hoped was a calm, relaxed tone.

"I'm not sure what I was thinking, I must have just been tired or maybe we have just been spending too much time together. It won't happen again." She attempted to go back to her dinner, hoping that might be the end of it. Kylo didn't let her get away that easily.

"Tired? Really? That's bullshit and you know it."

"Bullshit huh?" Rey's attempt to remain calm was failing, her shaking voice betrayed her anxiety.

"You know there's something between us."

"What could there possibly be between us?"

"Come on, Rey. Even you can't possibly be this stubborn." Kylo's voice was calm but his eyes were blazing. "You have feelings for me."

"Feelings? For you?" Rey rolled her eyes. "Believe me, you're the last person I'd ever be attracted to. What about you? You haven't been able to take your eyes off me since we started training."

"And what about all the flirting, huh?" Kylo was beginning to lose control, his voice was growing louder. "And need I remind you about the shower incident?"

"Oh please it was all part of my plan," snapped Rey. She was willing to lose her chance at escape to preserve her dignity. "As I recall, you were all too eager to look." At her words, Kylo finally lost it. He jumped to his feet and began to pace the room.

"Maybe it started out as some plot but I know you didn't fake that kiss!"

"You kissed me back!" Rey nearly smacked herself in the face at that comment. She had practically admitted the kiss was real.

"Oh yes, you seemed really upset about it." Kylo's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I was the one who pulled away, who knows how far you would have gone?"

"Right, like I would have actually fucked you or something." Rey gave a small laugh, as though the idea of sex with Kylo Ren was completely ridiculous. As though she hadn't been dreaming about it every night.

"Would that really have been the worst thing?" Kylo's voice had dropped to a near whisper. "I don't know what you're doing to me Rey but I think about you all the time. I miss you when I'm away. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone. I wish I didn't but it's true." Kylo looked shocked by his own announcement. Then, he began to laugh manically. "It's true! And it feels so damn good to say it!" He grinned like a madman.

Rey didn't know what to say. Kylo had just admitted he thought about her, that he missed her when he was away. That he wanted her. Did she feel the same way? Suddenly, she knew that she did. This may have started out as a lie but it had become truth. What was the point of pretending anymore? Rey was no longer confused, she wanted Kylo so badly she thought she might die. She walked over to him slowly and put a delicate hand on his arm. The contact sent chills running through her body. Kylo looked at her, unsure of how to respond. To answer his question, Rey gently grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart. She stood on her toes and kissed him again. It was so different from the last time, neither one of them pulled away and the kiss deepened. Their lips parted and their tongues met in a gentle dance. Kylo lifted Rey off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her through the doorway to his room and they fell backwards onto the bed. He began to touch her, first through her shirt and then underneath it. "Let me help you," Rey gasped as she pulled her shirt over her head. Kylo looked surprised, then delighted. He removed his shirt as well and lay on top of her. Feeling his skin on hers, Rey felt a fresh wave of desire take hold. She pulled him closer, kissing him even more fiercely than before. Kylo brought his hands back to her breasts, rubbing one of her nipples with his thumb. He pulled away from their kiss and took one of the nipples in his mouth, sucking gently. Rey moaned softly. She reached out to undo his pants, they were off in about two seconds. Hers soon followed.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Kylo whispered.

"Neither can I," Rey giggled. "But I'm glad it is." Kylo responded by kissing, then gently sucking Rey's neck. He moved his hand down and put it between her legs, pressing down on her clit. Rey groaned again. Kylo rubbed slow at first, then faster until Rey cried out in pleasure. She reached out to touch his length, working it gently. Now it was Kylo's turn to groan. Rey stopped before he came. "I'm ready," she whispered. "I want to do this."

"Are you sure?" Kylo asked. "I understand if you don't."

"I've never been so sure of anything." She kissed him again. In a moment, he was inside her. It hurt but somehow the pain was wonderful. Then he began to thrust and everything else disappeared. There was no dark, there was no light. There was no war. It was just the two of them, in this moment. Rey met his thrusts with movements of her own, they panted and moaned at the same time. They were one. Rey gently rolled Kylo over, straddling him. She leaned forward to press her lips to his again before beginning to ride him. They came at nearly the same time, crying out in ecstasy. Rey stayed on top of him for a few seconds, savoring the moment before climbing off. She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before going into the bathroom to clean up.

When she emerged from the shower, Rey saw that Kylo had fallen asleep. She also saw that his lightsaber, which he usually guarded so closely, was laying on the floor. Just month ago, she would have picked the weapon up and put it through Kylo's chest without hesitation. She would have escaped. Now, she ignored it. Instead, she climbed into bed beside Kylo. Curling up with her head on his chest, she drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Finn knew exactly where the island was. He had been there a million times. After Rey's disappearance, he and Poe had searched every inch of the place in search of clues. Of course they hadn't found anything, no one ever had. Months turned to years and still Rey didn't turn up. But Finn kept going back. Even after everyone else had abandoned the search, he returned to the island whenever he could. He wasn't sure why, there was really no point. There was a sense of calm there that he couldn't explain. It was as though he could feel Rey's presence, being on the island was like being with her. He knew everyone thought he was a little crazy. Not even Poe seemed to understand, though he never said anything about it. Finn didn't care, at least not much. He needed those visits, needed to sit on the edge of the cliff and hear the crash of the waves. Needed to feel Rey beside him. It was the only thing that gave him hope that she might be alright. This time was different though, he had no time to sit and listen to the waves. There was work to do.

Finn landed the ship on the eastern edge of the island. "I'll have a look around," he thought. "Then I'll contact Poe and let him know I got here safely." Climbing off the ship, Finn took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. Despite the desperate nature of his mission, it was good to be back. Well, it was until he saw the other ship. It was way on the other side of the island, just barely visible from where he stood. "What the hell?" he muttered. Putting a hand on the blaster on his belt, Finn began to walk over to investigate. As he got closer, he attempted to keep himself hidden behind the jagged rocks. Peering out from his hiding place, Finn saw the ship was a First Order Tie Fighter. A gasp escaped his lips when he caught sight of the pilot. The red haired, pale skinned man was none other than the infamous General Hux. Not only did Finn know him from his time in the Resistance, he remembered him from his days as a Stormtrooper. Hux was the very worst of the First Order, the most despicable and disgusting of them all. He was the one responsible for the Stormtrooper program, it was because of him that Finn never knew his family. Hatred swelling in his chest, Finn sprung out from behind the boulder and pointed his blaster at the general. Unfortunately, Hux also had time to pull out his weapon and pointed it at Finn. The two men were at a standstill.

"Is that FN-2187?" Hux sneered.

"All this time and you still won't call me by my name." Finn kept his finger firmly on the trigger of his blaster and glared at Hux. "Seems kind of petty."

"Ah yes, I forgot you started going by Finn after you turned traitor. And now I hear you go by General."

"Yeah, they said I have natural leadership qualities. Phasma used to say the same thing." Finn gave Hux a small grin. "I guess she was right." He crept slowly closer to Hux, without lowering his weapon. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked, stepping even closer.

"I could ask you the same thing. On the hunt for some Jedi? I heard Luke Skywalker died in the cave up on the hill." Hux gave a small laugh while Finn, taking advantage of the moment, gave him a swift kick to the knee. The threw the general off balance, giving Finn the opportunity to knock the weapon out of his hand. He threw himself at Hux, tackling him to the ground. Finn planted himself on the other man's chest and crushed his finger's beneath his boots. Hux attempted to gain the upper hand but Finn was by far the stronger of the two. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was slamming his fist into the side of Hux's smug face. And then again. And again. Over and over until blood covered his hands, spilling out from Hux's mouth and nose. He was no longer the fearful he had been when he'd been taken, he wasn't defenseless the way he had been when Rey was stolen.

"You stole me from my family!" he cried. "You took half my life from me!" He grabbed his blaster and held it against Hux's temple, the hatred inside him was so intense he felt he might explode. "I should fucking kill you right now!" He might have, if not for the gentle voice in his ear.

"Wait," it whispered. "Please, he can help you." Finn stopped cold. Hux was high ranking in the First Order, one of Snoke's most trusted men. He must know some secrets, have access to the most classified information. Did he know about the girl? Finn lowered his gun but kept Hux firmly pinned to the ground.

"I won't kill you thought, not yet. You may be able to help me."

Hux worked up a wad of saliva and blood, spitting it into Finn's face. "Like hell I will," he snarled. "You might as well kill me." Ignoring him, Finn wiped the blood off his face and continued.

"I'm looking for a girl. She has black hair and hazel eyes. Around 16 or 17 years old I'd guess. I think she may be the daughter of a girl that was abducted from this island, Rey." The change on Hux's face was immediate, going from a look of complete hatred to one of complete shock.

"You're looking for Lyra?" he gasped. "How do you know about her?"

"She attacked one of my bases. I figured the rest out myself, she's the spitting image of Rey." He tried to remain calm but his mind was racing. At last, he had a name. Lyra. "I'm trying to find her."

Hux's shock had worn off, replaced by anger. "Why, so you can turn her into a weapon for your precious Resistance?" he snapped. "Well even if you could find her, there's no way you could turn her. She's had Snoke whispering in her ear for 17 years."

Now it was Finn's turn to be shocked. Had he detected a hint of concern in Hux's voice? He was also terrified, if Snoke really did have Lyra all this time could she really be saved? "I don't want her as a weapon," he said. "I was a close friend of her mother. I just want to make sure she's ok." He was beginning to grow desperate. "Please," he begged. "If you know where she is, help me find her. You have no idea how much she means to me."

"How much she means to you? The child of the man who burned you and put you in a coma? The daughter of one of the most powerful dark side users of all time? The great granddaughter of Darth Vader? How could she mean anything to you?" Hux didn't look angry anymore, he looked genuinely curious.

"I don't care about any of that. Her mother was the best friend I've ever had. I owe her this much."

"Well then," said Hux. "If you would let me kindly let me up, we can talk like civilized men." Finn stood up and offered Hux his hand, half expecting him to throw him to the ground. He didn't.

"Why the change of heart?" Finn asked. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I think you may actually give a damn about Lyra, which is more I can say for Snoke. I think you might actually want to protect her. And so do I. Now come on, we have a lot to talk about."


	12. Chapter 12

Kylo had never believed he could be so happy, his life had been painfully lonely up to this point. He never truly felt that anyone really loved or cared for him, not even his parents or Uncle Luke. Not that he could really blame them, he wasn't exactly loveable. The weeks he spent with Rey felt like a dream. Even as a child Kylo had the sense that everyone, including his family, was terrified of him and what he could become. "There's too much Vader in him," he'd once heard his own mother say.

"I sense darkness in him," Uncle Luke had whispered when he thought Kylo wasn't listening.

"There's something wrong with that kid," Han told Leia.

But Rey didn't care about any of that. There was no reason for her to fear his power. After all she was incredibly powerful herself, maybe even more so. Rey had known intense loneliness all her life. Abandoned on Jakku, she'd been even more isolated than him. She knew the force and had felt the pull of the dark side. They understood each other completely and it made them all the more passionate.

He hated daylight now. Training had become a way to pass the time, evening couldn't come fast enough. They spent their nights exploring each other's bodies, learning new ways to fuck. And fuck they did. They had sex in the shower, against the wall, on their dinner table. Afterward they would fall into bed, completely exhausted. They would lay in the darkness, holding each other and whispering until sleep finally took them. Kylo told her things he had never dared speak aloud. Rey told him stories from her childhood. Some, like the story of her sledding down the dunes, were sweet. Others made his heart ache. On one such occasion, she told him about the week she'd found nothing to trade and had nearly starved to death. Unable to listen anymore, he interrupted her with a gentle kiss. Pulling away, he looked at her dark silhouette. "I hate to think of you in pain," he whispered. "Nothing like that will ever happen to you again, I promise." Rey reached out and brushed his hair away from his face.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she said. "Besides, I'm stronger for it. My time on Jakku made me who I am."

"You were always strong. It's one of the things I love about you." They both stopped, neither of them had mentioned love before. Kylo leaned in to kiss Rey again. "I love you," he said when they broke apart. Rey smiled.

"I love you too."

Kylo knew he didn't deserve to be so happy, he certainly didn't deserve Rey. He also knew things couldn't continue to be this way. They were ignoring the fact that Rey hadn't completed her training, they had been at a standstill for weeks now. Snoke was sure to be getting suspicious and what he would do if he found out about their nightly activities, Kylo didn't want to think about. So he didn't. However, Rey was. "What are we going to do?" she asked. Kylo, who was busy leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach, looked up.

"About what?"

Rey rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. We've been acting like we're a normal couple, but we aren't. We can't keep ignoring the fact that we're on different sides of this conflict, that I don't want to complete the transition to the dark side. That I'm a prisoner. Take your pick."

"I love you," Kylo said lamely. "I wish that was enough." He lay back and looked at the ceiling. "I wish it could solve everything."

"I do too," Rey whispered. "But we can't do this anymore, I can't stay here."

"I know." Kylo thought for a moment. The last 15 years of his life, he'd been devoted to the First Order and to Snoke. Now, he realized they meant nothing. Rey was all that mattered to him. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked at his lover. "I'll figure something out. We'll leave here together."

"Really?" Rey looked as though she didn't believe him. "You're going to defect?"

"Yeah." Kylo reached for her hand. "I found something that matters more than my old plans. Someone that gives my life meaning."

A huge grin broke out on Rey's face. "I love you so much!" She threw herself into his arms. Suddenly, she looked worried. "But how? They won't just let us leave."

"I'll figure it out," Kylo assured her. "I leave tomorrow for one of our bases, to interrogate a couple prisoners. When I get back, I promise I'll have a plan."

"I'll do some looking around while you're gone, maybe I'll find something to help us."

Kylo pulled Rey back into an embrace. He lay her down on her back and resumed his old mission, leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach to the sensitive region beneath.

Kylo's trip was relatively uneventful, none of the resistance prisoners put up much of a fight. He had plenty of time to think and managed to come up with an escape plan. It was simple, hopefully too simple to fail. He returned to Snoke's compound a few days later, feeling fairly confident. Excited to see Rey, he hurried to their quarters. Throwing open the door he expected her to come running, expected her to greet him with a kiss. She didn't. Instead, Rey was lying in their bed with her face to the wall. Her back shook with sobs. "Rey!" Kylo ran over to her. He sat on the bed. "What's wrong? Did Snoke do something?"

"It's nothing like that." Rey turned to look at him. "It's something we did."

Kylo was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm late," Rey whispered. "Really late."

Kylo didn't understand at first. "Late for what?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew. Never in his life had he been so terrified. "Oh Rey," he breathed. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not completely sure but I think so. I mean, we didn't exactly do anything to prevent it." Her voice was shaky. "Not the first time."

Kylo had been pulling out, making sure to never come inside. But that first time he'd been so caught up in the moment, the whole thing had seemed so surreal. The thought hadn't occurred to him until the next morning and he decided not to bring it up, Rey didn't mention it either. It was just one of the many things they had silently agreed to ignore. Kylo wanted to weep along with Rey but tried to keep his composure.

"Well, that's all the more reason to leave. We're getting out of here next week. A huge transport of Stormtroopers are being brought here to train. In the chaos, we may be able to slip out. I'm going to get us disguises." He tried to pull Rey close to him, to wrap her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright. She was having none of it.

"And what if he doesn't work? What then?" She was nearly hysterical. "And even if it does work, I can't be a mother! I don't know how, I never had one." Burying her face in her hands, she began to sob again.

Kylo put his arm around her. "Rey, no matter what you decide we have to try to get out of here. If you decide you don't want the baby, we can take care of it after we're free." Kylo wasn't sure how he felt about the issue, he'd never imagined himself as a father and had no confidence that he'd be any good at it. He didn't exactly have a good example to follow, Han had hardly been the ideal parent. Besides, he was still figuring out who he was and where he and Rey stood. Bringing a child into that hardly seemed fair. But still, he couldn't let go of the idea of this baby. Of their baby. However, it was Rey's choice.

"It's not that I don't want it, it's just… I don't know." Rey had stopped crying and was struggling to catch her breath. "And we may not even get a choice, what if Snoke finds out about this? He'd be thrilled to get his hands on our child."

"He won't find out." Kylo hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. "We only have to hide it for a week and we'll be out of here. Once we're out, we can contact my mother and…"

"Your mother!" Rey interrupted. "General Organa of the Resistance? Kylo, you cannot contact the Resistance."

"She's my mother," Kylo argued. "I know she'll help us and no matter what you decide, we'll need help."

"She's your mother but she's also a general. And you're a war criminal. She may not even have any control over it, other Resistance leaders want you dead."

"I'll take my chances. Snoke is going to come after us and the safest place to be is with the Resistance." He pulled Rey close to him and held her against his chest. "I deserve whatever happens to me but you need to be safe."

"I'm not nearly as innocent as you make me out to be," she mumbled into his clothes. "But I guess you're right. Snoke is going to chase us down anyway, at least we have a chance with the Resistance." She raised her head and planted a kiss on his lips. Kylo hoped she couldn't sense his fear; he was trying so hard to keep it together for her. Pulling away from the kiss, she gave him a sad smile. "No matter what happens, I'm glad I got to be with you. I'm happy I got to love you."


	13. Chapter 13

Rain fell hard over the island. The wind blew with great force and waves crashed hard against the bottom of the cliffs. The sound of thunder echoed all around. Finn and Hux had taken shelter in Luke Skywalker's old cave. They sat near the entrance, watching the storm. Hux hated the cave. In fact, he hated the whole island. It felt haunted somehow, full of ghosts. The weather didn't help. He looked over at his old enemy, wondering if he felt the same way. They'd come up here to talk but had said little so far. Hux didn't really know where to start, there was so much that needed to be said. "So," he began awkwardly. "You were a friend of Rey's?"

"Yeah," said Finn. He continued to stare into the distance. "She was my best friend." The look on his face suggested there was more. Hux suspected poor Finn had been in love. Then again, what did he know?

"I didn't know her well but I do know she was brave." Hux didn't know why he was trying to comfort the traitor. "She once told Supreme Leader Snoke to go to hell."

"Sounds like her." Finn turned to look at Hux, his eyes full of pain. "I need to know what happened to her. Please."

Hux hesitated. He couldn't tell Finn the truth. Their alliance was shaky but necessary, they needed to work together if they were going to save Lyra. And if Finn knew what happened, there was no way he'd stick around. Besides Hux could barely stand to think about what he'd done, let alone talk about it. "I don't know," he lied. "They just disappeared, I assume Snoke had them killed and disposed of the bodies."

"But she could still be alive," Finn whispered. "I mean, you didn't see her die."

Hux couldn't believe it. All these years and Finn still believed the girl could be alive. His devotion was almost touching.

"I suppose she could be," he lied. "But Snoke didn't want them interfering with the way Lyra was raised. He told her they ran off and joined the Resistance."

"How did this whole thing even happen in the first place? Rey hated the guy."

Hux lied again, loathing himself. "Snoke wanted Kylo to train Rey, turn her to our side. I guess they fell in love. Rey got pregnant. Snoke didn't plan on it happening but once it did, he was thrilled. Lyra is everything he ever wanted. She'd incredibly strong in the force and he's had her since the day she was born, she doesn't know anything but the dark side."

"It sounds like you really care about her." Finn looked confused, as though he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of Hux caring about someone. "Why? You and Ren never seemed to get along from what I saw."

"The whole thing…it just wasn't right. Having an innocent child growing up that way, teaching her how to fight before she could read. No parents, no family at all. She seemed so lost."

"But we all grew up that way." Finn looked angry now. "All of us Stormtroopers. You took us from our families, forced us to kill."

"I know. And believe me, I regret that every day."

"So that's it? You just felt sorry for her?"

 _I promised her mother,_ he thought _. I told her I'd look after her, I owed Rey that much._ But all he said was "I can't explain it. But believe me, I want what's best for her. And staying with Snoke is going to destroy her."

"What are we going to do?" Finn asked. "We need a plan, Snoke's not going to let her go without a fight."

Hux thought for a moment. Getting her out of the compound would be impossible. "Remember her mission," a voice whispered. That was it. Sneaking Lyra out would never work. But if she were to leave on her own…

"She's going on a mission next week, to assassinate Leia Organa. We'll intercept the ship and take out the crew. That should be easy. Getting Lyra to go with us, that's the challenge. We'll have to subdue her somehow.

"Subdue her? I'm not hurting Rey's daughter."

"You don't know how powerful she is. That girl could kill us both with the flick of her wrist."

Finn sighed. "You don't think she'll agree to go with you?"

"It would be asking her to leave everything she's ever known, to betray the man who raised her."

"I walked away from the First Order, I made a choice. We're giving her in option. I'm not kidnapping anyone," Finn insisted.

"Fine then. But you'll let me do the talking, I know how to deal with her. Lyra has quite the temper."

"I think she'll go with us, after I tell her about her Rey." He was quiet for a moment. "Snoke is going to come after her. We'll have to take her to the Resistance."

"You think that's a good idea? Putting an angry, adolescent dark side user on a Resistance base? Did I mention she despises the Resistance? She thinks you people stole her parents. Besides, there is a chance they'll try to turn her into a weapon just like Snoke did. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Do you have any better ideas? We need somewhere safe."

"Some distant planet, far away from the First Order and the Resistance. Somewhere she can adjust without anyone trying to take advantage of her and where she can't hurt anyone."

"I think I know a place." Finn looked determined. "This just might work. We can head there as soon as the weather clears."

The storm lasted longer than Hux thought it would. He and Finn didn't speak for a few hours, silently watching the rain. Finally, Finn spoke up. "So um, what's Lyra like? I know she has the force; I know she can fight and that she works for Snoke. But what's she really like?"

Hux smiled. "She's stubborn, never gives up on anything. Sarcastic too and like I said, she has a bit of a temper. But she's very intelligent and she loves to read. That girl will read anything she can get her hands on."

"How did she get her name? I can hardly see Snoke picking out baby names."

Hux's smile faded. "Rey named her."

Finn looked at his hands. "Oh."

"Look," Hux said. "I know you really loved Rey. But this isn't her, Lyra is her own person. I need you to remember that. It's not Rey we're saving here."

"I know," Finn replied. "Rey is probably dead. I'm not crazy. But if I can't save Rey, I can try to help her daughter. I wasn't there for Rey when she needed me but I can be there for Lyra."

Hux didn't know what to say. He and Finn had more in common than he thought; both men were seeking redemption. Outside, the rain had finally begun to let up. "Looks like the storm is clearing. Let's get moving."


	14. Chapter 14

For years, all Rey thought about was her family. Wondering where they were, when they would return. Dreaming about what it would be like to have them back. She left marks on the wall of her AT-AT, counting the days she spent alone. She'd done everything on her own but it hadn't mattered. Someday, her family would comeback for her and everything would change. Rey had pinned all her hopes on that. She'd never even considered starting a new family of her own. Rey wanted a mother, she didn't want to be one herself. And even after leaving the desert planet, who would she have had children with? Rey had never been particularly interested in falling in love. Finn had shown interest in her but Rey couldn't think of him in that way. He was her best friend, the first friend she ever had. He meant a lot to her but she wasn't in love. So she had remained single, with no plans to change. Yet here she was, with a baby on the way and a… whatever exactly Kylo was. Rey knew she was too young to have a child. She knew she was unprepared. She and Kylo were not in the most stable relationship. On Jakku children were just extra mouths to feed, burdens. Without good medical care, women ran a huge risk of dying in childbirth and leaving their babies motherless. And those who survived had to work twice as hard to scrape by. On Jakku, there was no way Rey could have had this baby. But she wasn't on Jakku anymore. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted her baby. She wanted their baby. But she also knew that it might not be an option. They had no idea if this escape plan was going to work. If it didn't, there was no telling what Snoke would do. Despite the risk, Rey couldn't help getting her hopes up. She and Kylo could be free. They could be parents. The thought scared and excited her.

"Kylo, would you want to keep the baby?" she asked the day before their planned escape. She was laying in their bed, trying to nap, while Kylo sat reading a book across the room. Both were trying to keep their nerves at bay. Kylo looked up, surprised by Rey's sudden inquiry.

"What?" he asked.

"Assuming we get out of here, that everything goes as planned, would you want me to have the baby?" She watched his face, anxious to see his reaction.

"I told you, I'm fine with whatever you want." He walked over to the bed and sat down beside Rey.

"Well," Rey began. "I know it's completely insane but I've been thinking about it and I want to have the baby. I really want to be a parent. I may not know how but I could learn. "

To her relief, Kylo smiled. "I think we could both learn." Rey squealed and threw her arms around Kylo's neck.

"Oh, I'm so happy! That sounds so crazy to say right now but I am."

"Of course it's not crazy." Kylo wrapped his arms around Rey's waist and pulled her closer. "I love you so much Rey."

"I love you too. But we shouldn't be so excited. We don't even know if our plan is going to work." She pulled away from the embrace. "And even if it does, we don't know what is going to happen when we get back to the Resistance."

"Let's not think about that." Kylo reached for Rey again, pulling her back to him.

"You're always saying that." Rey sighed. "I can't just stop thinking about what could happen."

"I'll bet I can help." Kylo lay Rey back gently and began to kiss her neck. He moved his hand to cover her breast.

"Not now," Rey sighed. She was already getting lost in the moment. Tangling her fingers in Kylo's hair, Rey brought him in for a kiss. She pulled him on top of her. Feeling his hard cock through their clothes, Rey shuddered the desire. Deepening the kiss, Kylo put his hand up Rey's shirt and began to play with a nipple.

"Are you sure?" he asked with a grin, pulling away for a moment. "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Giggling, she wiggled out of the shirt and discarded it. "Your turn," she whispered. Kylo obeyed and his shirt soon joined her's on the floor. He lay back down on Rey and began to rub against her, slowly at first and then faster. She copied his movements, grinding against him and moaning a bit while she did. Her hands crept down his pants, she grasped his cock and began to rub it.

"Oh fuck," Kylo sighed. "Rey."

Too wet to wait anymore, Rey removed her pants and slid Kylo's off as well. She rolled him on to his back and lowered herself on to his cock. She began to move, eliciting a moan from her lover's mouth. Rey laughed again. "You like that?" she asked. He nodded eagerly and Rey continued. Kylo reached out and put his fingers under Rey's clit, allowing her to grind against them as she moved. Now it was her turn to groan. Kylo began to match Rey's movements with thrusts on his own. Their cries grew louder and soon they were spent. Kylo finished with a groan and Rey rolled off and lay beside him. After panting a few moments, she looked over at him and grinned. "At least we don't have to worry about me getting pregnant this time," she joked. Kylo rolled his eyes. "We need another distraction before I start to worry again," said Rey. "What's something normal we can do? I want to pretend we're a normal couple."

"Well, what do normal couples do when they find out they're pregnant?"

"I'm not really sure," Rey said. "Maybe talk about baby names."

Kylo propped himself up on his elbow and smiled. "Do you have any you like?"

"Could we maybe do Finn for a boy?" she asked.

Kylo frowned. "I'd prefer we didn't."

"Please, he's the one that got me to leave Jakku and convinced me to start a new life. He's my best friend. It would really mean a lot to me."

"I guess I could put up with it, if it's that important to you."

"Thank you so much! Since you let me have Finn, you can choose the girl name." Rey thought for a moment and added "But Darth Vader and any other famous Sith names are off the table."

"How about Lyra?" Kylo asked without hesitation.

"That's pretty. Where did you get it from?"

Kylo shrugged. "I just heard it somewhere once, thought it sounded nice. I always remembered it."

Rey smiled. "Then we have it all figured out. We are going to have a Finn or a Lyra."

Kylo beamed back at Rey. "Sounds good to me." He leaned in for a kiss but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Struggling into his tunic and pants, Kylo jumped up to answer it. Rey stayed in the bedroom and was unable to see the visitor but could hear the voice of General Hux.

"Good evening, Ren. The Supreme Leader would like to see you."

"Why?" Kylo asked.

"He didn't specify, nor should it matter."

"Alright then, I'll go down in a few moments."

"He wants to see you immediately, Ren. Go now."


	15. Chapter 15

For perhaps the thousandth time that week, Finn found himself longing for Poe. Although he thought of himself as a fairly strong person, he often had trouble remaining optimistic in times of trouble. Poe was unfailingly positive. He'd been there for Finn after Rey's disappearance, first as a shoulder to cry on and then something much more. The pilot had a calming effect on him; he provided a kind of steadiness that Finn hadn't even known he was missing. He could have used some of that steadiness now. It had been nearly a week since he and Hux had landed on Dagobah and with each passing moment the day grew closer. Now it was nearly here. Tomorrow was the day they would save Lyra. Or try to at least. Finn's doubts were growing the longer they waited. Lyra might refuse to go. She might go beserk and kill them all. Hux might have been wrong about the day. Leia Organa may already be dead at her granddaughter's hand. Rey's daughter might be lost forever.

In the days since they arrived, Finn and Hux had hardly spoken to one another. Searching the swampy planet, they found a clearing in which they had set up a rather rough camp.

"Not great but it'll work," Hux said. "It's isolated, that's what matters."

"Yeah, nothing like a creepy bog to bring people to the light. I'm sure Lyra will feel right at home here." Finn sighed. Hux rolled his eyes. "So um, did you see Rey at all when she was with Kylo? Did you talk to her?" Finn asked, hoping for more information.

"Not really. I knew she was there but I only saw her a few times and we didn't speak," Hux replied.

"Oh." Finn tried to hide his disappointment.

There was nothing else to say. They had gone back to ignoring each other. Time passed and Finn's anxiety grew. The voice, the same voice that had whispered to him on the island, seemed to have followed him here. "Talk to him," it urged. "You'll need each other if this is going to work." Finn ignored it this time. He and Hux continued in silence. What was the point in trying to make small talk? They had nothing in common but Lyra.

It became clear after the first night that Hux was not a sound sleeper. He cried out and thrashed in his sleep. Finn could hear him all the way across the clearing. Sometimes he mumbled words Finn didn't understand. All the noise made it impossible to sleep. Finn managed to put up with it for five nights but by the sixth and final night he became frustrated he got up and walked over to the sleeping general. Kneeling down to shake him awake, Finn actually managed to catch a few words. "I'm so sorry Rey," Hux whispered. "So sorry."

Startled, Finn grabbed the other man by the shoulders and shook him roughly. "What did you do to Rey?" he asked. "What are you sorry for?"

"Good morning to you too," Hux muttered.

"You said you were sorry." Finn's voice was low and intense. "What are you sorry about? You told me you didn't know what happened to her."

Hux rubbed his eyes. "It was just a nightmare. We failed and Lyra stayed with Snoke. Rey came to me. She was crying because we didn't save her daughter."

Finn didn't believe it for a second. "You're full of shit. You know what happened to my friend. You've been lying to me."

"Oh please, like I'm the only one that's lying. You call Rey your friend, your best friend. She was more than that to you." Hux sat up and glared at Finn.

"And how would you know that?"

"She told me about the kiss," Hux snapped. He seemed to regret the words as soon as they left his mouth.

Finn felt his face go red with both embarrassment and rage. "Then you have been lying! You act like you hardly knew her. Why the fuck would she tell you personal things like that if you were strangers?"

The look on Hux's face was that of a man who knows he's trapped. "Ok fine. I didn't see much of Rey until Kylo left, right around the time she got pregnant. Snoke had her confined to her room and had me check on her every once in a while. We talked a little. I think she was lonely."

Finn was torn between begging the general to tell him more about Rey and punching him in the jaw for lying. "Then you must know what happened to her. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

Hux hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking. "I wanted to spare you, Finn. After all this time, you still believed she could be alive."

Finn felt all the air leave his lungs, he felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach. "She's dead?" he sputtered.

"I'm sorry, I really am."

Finn had tried to remain hopeful all these years but deep down, he'd known Rey had to be dead. Nothing else would have stopped her from coming back. But to have his fears confirmed broke his heart. He would never see Rey again. "How?" he asked quietly.

"In childbirth. She lost a lot of blood. The medical droids said she only survived a few minutes after Lyra was born." Hux sounded genuinely sad.

"So she bled to death? All alone?" Finn felt tears welling in his eyes. If only he had been there for her. "Where was Kylo Ren during all this?"

Hux sighed. "Like I said, he left. Snoke called him down to his throne room and Ren never showed up. I have no idea what happened to him."

Finn had never been so angry in his life, which really said something. "So that bastard just left her and his kid at Snoke's mercy?" he yelled. "He just knocked her up and abandoned her?"

"I guess so," Hux mumbled.

"Why didn't Snoke go after him? I thought Kylo Ren was his special pet."

"He knew about the baby at that point. Lyra was what he really wanted, he could train her from birth. And with two force sensitive parents, she was bound to be powerful."

Overwhelmed with grief, Finn lay back and closed his eyes. Poor Rey. She had been through so much in her short life, only to die in such a horrible way. Lyra was all that was left of her now. Finn was more determined now than ever. He sat up and opened his eyes. "It's nearly time to go. Let's get the ship ready," he said.

Hux stood up and dusted himself off. He reached out and touched Finn on the shoulder. The gesture was almost comforting. "Ok," he said. "Let's go get Lyra."


	16. Chapter 16

Walking down the corridor, Hux turned back to look at Ren. It was no wonder he normally wore a mask, the man's expression was all over his face. He was obviously anxious. Being called to Snoke normally did that to a person but this was something else. Ren looked as though he were going to turn and run at any moment. "Something bothering you, Ren?" Hux asked with a sneer.

"Of course not," he snapped. "So, the Supreme Leader really didn't say why he sent for me?" he asked nervously.

"As I said, it doesn't matter." Truthfully, Hux had no idea why but he certainly wouldn't admit it to Ren. They arrived at the double doors leading to the throne room. Hux placed his hand on the scanner next to the entrance. A small beep let him know he had been granted access. "After you," said Hux as he held the door open. Ren took a deep breath, then entered the dark room. The general followed.

"Kylo Ren," boomed the Supreme Leader. "Come closer."

Kylo approached the giant reluctantly, like a man walking to his execution. The door slammed shut behind them. "What do you require of me, Supreme Leader?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Now there, my boy. Don't look so down. Congratulations are in order."

Hux was completely confused. Congratulations? For what?

Snoke smiled. "Ah yes, I can see General Hux is a bit confused." He turned his piercing gaze to Hux. "Our Kylo Ren is soon to be a father."

To say General Hux was shocked would be an understatement, his jaw hit the floor and he was left speechless.

"I can explain Master," Ren began.

"Explain what? How you managed to find the perfect way to bind the girl to our cause? How you have created a being possibly even more powerful than yourself? How you have completely redeemed yourself for your mistakes on Starkiller base? There is no need, I am very pleased."

Hux's mind was reeling. Ren and the scavenger girl? The pregnant scavenger girl? A child even more powerful than either parent? It was more than he could process.

"I'm relieved Master," said Ren. "I was unsure how you would react to the news." Hux noticed Kylo Ren hardly seemed relieved. If anything, he seemed to be shaking even more. Snoke noticed as well.

"Then why so nervous?" he asked. "You weren't planning on going anywhere were you?" He stared at Ren, searching his mind. "Taking your whore and running back to your mother?"

Ren clenched his fists, the only indication of his anger. "I wouldn't dream of it. My loyalty is to you and you alone."

Snoke smiled again. "Good. I would like to see the girl again, to congratulate her impending motherhood. You will bring her to me this evening."

Hux noticed that Ren seemed to relax, just a touch. He unclenched his hands.

"Yes, of course." Ren turned to leave.

"Not so fast," said Snoke. "Come here to me."

Ren walked even closer to Snoke, right up to his throne. "Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"Let me see your lightsaber," Snoke commanded.

Ren hesitated. "Why is that?" he asked with as much respect as he could. Hux was wondering the same thing.

"As I recall, it was a bit unstable. I think you ought to create a new one, to celebrate your journey into fatherhood. Our precious Rey can create one as well, after the child is born."

Kylo Ren reluctantly drew the weapon from his belt. He placed it into the supreme leader's waiting hand. It looked tiny and ridiculous in Snoke's enormous palm. He pressed the hit and the blade came to life, crackling red. He waved it around bit, as though testing it. Then he lurched forward and drove it through Kylo Ren's chest. The look on Ren's face was one of pure surprise, he reached out a hand as though he were searching for something. Snoke pulled the blade out and Ren slumped to the floor. He wasn't dead though. His breathing was labored, but it continued. He pawed at the wound with shaky hands.

Hux gasped, frozen in place. Kylo Ren was Snoke's protégée and he'd cut him down like he was nothing. Ren was making an awful sound, somewhere between a whine and a scream. Snoke rolled his eyes. "Finish him off Hux," he commanded.

"What?" Hux stuttered, dumbfounded.

"Shoot him."

Forcing himself to move, Hux walked over to his onetime foe. He truly was pathetic laying there like that, gasping for air. "Rey," he managed to choke out. Hux drew his blaster and put it up to Ren's head. He found himself unable to pull the trigger.

Snoke was losing patience. "Do it now," he commanded.

Hux closed his eyes and fired. Ren stopped making noise. For a few moments, all was quiet.

"You are wondering why I killed him," Snoke said. It wasn't a question but Hux answered anyway.

"Yes I am. I'm wondering why it was necessary."

"Because he failed me. He failed on Starkiller base, when he let an untrained girl get the better of him."

"Then why didn't you kill him then?"

"I still had use for him. But now he has fulfilled his purpose."

"His purpose?" Hux was lost.

"To produce a child with the scavenger. To provide me with a replacement. A newer, better model." Snoke was obviously pleased with himself.

"So you knew this would happen?"

"I may not experience human traits like lust and attraction but I do understand them. I knew he wanted her. I was surprised it took this long."

"And what is to become of the girl?"

The Supreme Leader grinned. "She is to fulfill her purpose." He nodded towards the body that had once been Kylo Ren. "Now dispose of the corpse."

Hux was horrified. "How?" he asked.

"I don't know. Throw it down the garbage chute. It'll be incinerated with the rest of the trash." He showed no remorse, no sadness over the death of this man he has known so long. "And tell no one about this. Ren ran away, he left like a coward."

It seemed Hux had no choice. He lifted the body into his arms, stumbling under the weight. 


	17. Chapter 17

Lyra couldn't help but be amazed by what she saw. The bright stars whizzing past her small ship captivated her. For so much of her life she had been shut away, learning about the rest of the galaxy only in her books. Living underground made sense of course. People feared power like hers and fear made people do terrible things. The Supreme Leader was right when he said the galaxy was a dangerous place for her. Still, it didn't make it any easier. So the rare times she did get to leave, Lyra found herself abandoning her usually cold and detached demeanor in favor of ogling over the view like a little child. She just couldn't help it. However, she was trying to keep herself in check for the benefit of Captain Phasma who sat beside her. For her protection, the Supreme Leader always sent her with a guard. Someone to watch her back he said. Usually, it was Hux but he was god only knew where. So she was stuck with Phasma, who was unbelievably boring and absolutely adored rules. At least Hux had a sense of humor. Lyra hated that she even had to have a companion. After all, she was 17 now and could handle herself. But you couldn't argue with the Supreme Leader. If he thought she needed supervision, she must need it. He had never been wrong before. "We will be arriving soon," she said to Phasma in an authoritative voice. Best to let the captain know who was in charge before they landed. "You will wait with the ship while I track down Organa. The Supreme Leader said that she's going to be at some sort of ball." Lyra was beginning to get anxious about the mission but she couldn't let Phasma see. She kept her face calm. "Her death will make quite a splash."

"Be cautious," Phasma replied. "It is unwise to become overly confident. There will be a lot of security and it's important that you avoid detection."

Lyra sensed condescension and was irritated, she despised being treated like a child. "That goes without saying, Phasma." She turned back to the controls. Lyra was flying the ship of course; she was a natural born pilot. "I'm hardly worried about their mundane security."

"Yes. I forget that you are all powerful." Phasma muttered something under her breath that Lyra didn't quite catch but she could sense the woman's regret once the words were out.

"What was that?" she snapped. Lyra disliked secrets.

"Nothing."

"I demand you tell me right now!" Lyra was fuming. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything else." Phasma avoided Lyra's gaze.

"You'll tell me this moment or I'll find another way to get the answer. And believe me, you'll wish you answered my question."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" Lyra glared at the woman. "Don't underestimate me, Captain."

"I said you are just like your father!" Phasma snapped.

That made Lyra gasp. No one besides the Supreme Leader ever admitted to knowing either of her parents. Everyone avoided the topic and Lyra knew next to nothing about who they really were. Despite the terrible things Snoke had told her, she was starving for details. "Like my father? You knew him?"

Before the captain could answer, Lyra noticed a strange light approaching the ship. As it drew nearer, she could see it was another small craft. It continued to get closer and closer, showing no signs of stopping or turning away. "What the hell?" she muttered, attempting to maneuver away from the strange ship. However, the other craft seemed to be faster and followed in hot pursuit.

"That's a resistance ship!" Phasma exclaimed.

Lyra cursed herself for not noticing. Now she looked foolish. She continued to fly the ship, weaving back and forth trying to shake the other craft off their tail. It didn't work. Soon they managed to cut her off and Lyra found herself unable to move the ship. The other pilot must have done something to the engine. She heard static coming from the ship's radio, then a voice filled the small space.

"Lyra?" It was Hux on the other end. "Lyra, I can't let you do this."

"What do you mean?" Lyra asked, confused.

"I can't let you kill Leia Organa, it's not right."

"It's my mission, Hux." Lyra didn't understand. "I have my orders. Now let me go."

"There's something Snoke hasn't told you." He sighed. "Something I haven't told you. I've kept quiet for a long time, too long. You deserve to know the truth."

"Don't listen to him," Phasma insisted. Lyra could sense her desperation. "General Hux, the Supreme Leader will hear about this." Lyra shut her up with a wave of the hand. The captain lost consciousness and slumped down in her chair.

"What is it, Hux?" Lyra had to know. After all, she hated secrets. "Why shouldn't I kill Organa?"

She could hear Hux take a deep breath. "She's your grandmother."


	18. Chapter 18

Rey had attempted to remain calm, to lay in bed and patiently wait for Kylo to come back. However, that had proven impossible. Worry made her restless. She tried to distract herself, getting up to take a steaming hot shower. Rey took as long as possible, washing every square inch of her body and spending an unusually long time on her hair. Finally leaving the bathroom, she hoped to see Kylo waiting for her. No such luck. She dressed herself in a simple black outfit, trying to ignore the fact that her hands were beginning to shake. Where could Kylo be? It had been so long. What if Snoke sent him away on another mission? They were supposed to leave tomorrow. If Kylo didn't come back, should she try to escape without him? She might be able to make it to General Organa on her own, Kylo could come later. But what if it was even worse than that, what if Snoke found out somehow? The thought made Rey's blood run cold. It was these kinds of thoughts that forced Rey abandon her efforts to keep calm and reduced her to pacing around the room. Where the fuck could he be?

Finally, the door swung open. Rey nearly wept with relief, until she turned around and saw Hux standing in the doorway. Her relief immediately vanished, replaced by anger and desperation. "Where the hell is Kylo Ren?" she growled, resisting the urge to fling the general at the wall.

"The Supreme Leader would like to speak to you now. I assume he will tell you."

Rey didn't know Hux well, having only met him a few times, but she was observant. The general was missing the arrogance and confidence Rey had come to associate with him. Though he was trying to hide it, he was shaken. Something had happened. Rey began to feel sick and it had nothing to do with the pregnancy. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what happened," Rey said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.

Rather than getting angry, Hux sighed. "We don't have time for this. Ren isn't here anymore, he's gone. Unless you want to join him, I suggest you get moving."

Rey felt tears welling in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away quickly. "He's gone?" she asked. "What do you mean he's gone?"

"People that displease the Supreme Leader often disappear. If you are agreeable, he may keep you around. Now come on."

The general almost looked concerned, like he was actually worried about what would happen to her if she disobeyed. Rey forced herself to follow him down the corridor. They entered a lift and headed down. "What's he going to do to me?" she asked, hating how small and weak she sounded.

"Nothing right now." He didn't look at her. "He knows about the baby."

Rey began to feel dizzy. She leaned against the wall for a moment and closed her eyes. There was no point in denying it. "He wants my baby, doesn't he?" Before Hux could answer, the doors slid open. They walked forward, towards the throne room. Rey could feel her heart pounding as Hux placed his hand on the scanner. Before following him inside, Rey took a moment to collect herself. Walking confidently with a look of defiance on her face, she entered the dark room. The giant creature on the throne opened his mouth to speak but Rey cut him off.

"What have you done with Kylo Ren?"

The creature smirked. "Brave little scavenger. I have done nothing to him. Kylo Ren left of his own accord. I offered him a chance to leave and he took it, he left you and the child you carry."

"He didn't," Rey hissed. Kylo would never have done that to her. If he was gone, it was Snoke's doing. "He wouldn't."

"Whether you choose to believe me or not, he is gone. And you are alone."

Rey was shaking, Snoke was right. What was she going to do?

The giant continued. "Fortunately for you, I am merciful. You will stay here and rest until the baby is born. Then you will continue your training, with me as your master. If you do well, you have nothing to fear. You will even have a hand in raising your child."

Rey didn't believe him for a second. "Go to hell you piece of shit. Like you aren't going to have me killed as soon as I give birth."

Snoke was unmoved by Rey's outburst. "What choice do you have, child? You are completely at my mercy. Your friends won't find you here, Luke Skywalker won't be able to sense you when you are so close to me. You will be under constant guard. There is no escape."

He was right Rey realized with a sinking feeling. Still, she would have to try. For the baby. For Kylo. For her. Hux stepped forward. "May I take her back to her rooms, Supreme Leader? She's distraught and is not thinking clearly."

"Yes, take her now." He smiled again. "Goodbye for now, little scavenger."

Rey practically ran back to her chambers, feeling the tears beginning to return. Hux opened the door and she ran inside, trying to hide her face behind her hands. "Rey," he began.

"Get out," she cried. Whatever had happened to Kylo, Hux was involved. She couldn't look at him without feeling sick to her stomach. "Get out now!" The general obeyed, leaving without a word. Rey stumbled back into the bedroom and threw herself down on the bed. She buried her face in the pillow. It smelled like him. She moved her hand to her stomach. There was no change yet but she could sense something there, a life. A life she didn't know how to save. Finally giving in, Rey began to sob.


	19. Chapter 19

Hux glanced at the girl who sat beside him. Lyra had gone silent a few hours ago and was busy staring at the wall, obviously deep in thought. Hux didn't want to push the girl, she had been through enough today. It hadn't been easy to convince her to board his ship as it was and she didn't even know about Finn yet. Hux didn't want to think about what she would do when she found out they were meeting up with the new general of the Resistance. They would cross that bridge when they came to it. Just telling her about her parents had been hard enough. And he hadn't even been totally honest about that. "So, where are you taking me?" Lyra asked suddenly.

"Somewhere Snoke won't be able to find you," Hux replied.

"Yes I know that. Where?"

"Dagobah. It's swampy and horrible. Not only that but it's in the middle of nowhere. You are going to love it." Hux forced himself to grin. He elbowed Lyra gently, trying to make her smile.

"Stop. Stop acting like everything is normal and fine. Stop acting like you didn't just tell me my entire life has been a lie."

"I'm sorry, Lyra. But you needed to know the truth."

"Why now? Why wait 17 years? Why did you let me go my entire life thinking I was unwanted?", The supreme leader's weapon looked to be on the verge of tears.

"I didn't want to at first. I still believed in the First Order, even after everything I saw. But I promised your mother I'd look after you. And I…I began to care for you. But I didn't know how to tell you the truth. I was afraid you would hate me." Hux sighed.

"That I would hate you because you killed my father? Because you let my mother die? What would give you that idea?" Tears squeezed their way out of Lyra's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Hux was reminded of what she was: a frightened, lonely child. He didn't know what to say. Lyra was right to be angry. And he hadn't even told her the worst part. He couldn't.

"I can't change the past but I can try to make things right. Forcing you to kill your grandmother was a step too far."

"Ah yes, letting me grow up thinking my parents hated me was fine." She turned back to the wall.

"You are so stubborn, just like your mother." Hux practically smacked himself in the face for that comment. He always managed to say the wrong thing.

"Don't you dare talk about her!" Lyra snapped. "You knew Snoke wanted her dead and you didn't protect her. You even stopped her from escaping!"

"You're right, Lyra. I don't deserve her forgiveness or yours. But I am sorry."

"And what about my father? He was helpless and you shot him in cold blood."

Hux shuddered at the mention of Kylo Ren. "I did what Snoke asked of me. He told me to kill your father and I did." _And you couldn't even do that right_ , he thought. _You botched the job._ He pushed the thought away. It would return tonight in his nightmares.

Lyra sighed. "I guess it's no different than what I would have done. I was going to kill General Organa because Snoke told me to. I killed those people at the base because it was what he wanted me to do. I've done horrible things."

"None of that is your fault," Hux insisted.

"That doesn't matter. I did it."

"Neither of us can change what we did. The past is the past. We have to look towards the future." Hux knew that was harder than it sounded. His past haunted him every day.

Lyra snorted. "My future? I don't know what my future holds. I used to think I knew who I was but now I have no idea. I won't be Snoke's weapon, but who am I?"

Hux gave a small smile. "It's time to figure it out. I'm here to help you." He sighed. It was time to come clean about Finn. "Listen, we are going to land soon and there is something you need to know."

"Oh god, more secrets?"

"Just a small one. I didn't make this plan on my own. There is someone waiting for us on Dagobah. Someone who cares about you a lot. He was a friend of your mother. I ran into him on Ahch-To."

Lyra looked surprised. "Who?"

"Now, don't freak out." The isolated planet came into view; they were approaching it rapidly. It was now or never. "He used to be a Stormtrooper. We called him FN-2187. He goes by Finn now." Hux took a deep breath. "He's the new leader of the Resistance."


	20. Chapter 20

Everything hurt. He was too weak to open his eyes and in too much pain to think. Where was he? Snoke had stabbed him, Hux had shot him. How was he still alive? His body seemed to be flying through the air. A pair of arms held him. A small moan escaped his lips and he heard a man curse. The arms that held him let go and Kylo fell to the floor, sending agonizing pain shooting through his body.

"Fuck," Hux said again. "Shit. How the hell are you still alive?"

Kylo couldn't speak, he was beginning to lose consciousness again. The darkness was pulling him under, the pain was too much. All he wanted to do was sleep. Hux's arms were back again, pulling him off the ground. They began to move again. Kylo didn't care. He was ready to float away, ready to give in and die. Ready to be with the force. Suddenly, an image of Rey flashed through his mind. She was pacing around their room, tears in her eyes. He had to get to her. "Rey," he managed to gasp. He forced his eyes open and took in the man that carried him. Somehow he found the strength to move his arm, feeling for Hux's blaster. It wasn't there, Hux had left it in the throne room. The movement did not go unnoticed. Hux grabbed Kylo's wrist and pulled it away from his belt. Kylo managed to roll out of the general's arms and dropped to the ground again. He tried to stand but he was too weak and the pain was too great. Hux reached to pick him up again and Kylo attempted to force push him away. But his thoughts were all over the place, he couldn't summon the energy. Hux grabbed him and ran down the corridor, heading for the trash shoot at the end of the hall. Kylo continued to fight as much as he could, trying to push his way out of the prison created by Hux's arms. He was unsuccessful and they soon reached the small metal shoot. Hux held Kylo against the wall and reached for his missing weapon. Finding nothing, he looked unsure of himself. Maybe he was wondering what to do. Then, after hesitating for a moment, he reached out and wrapped his hand around Kylo's neck. Gasping for air and not strong enough to properly fight back, Kylo was reduced to weakly trying to push Hux's hand away. He could feel himself beginning to fade again. Summoning his last ounce of strength, he punched Hux in the side of the face.

"Stop it," Hux hissed. "You're only making it worse." He moved so that he held Kylo directly over the trash shoot and continued to squeeze his neck. Kylo shifted his weight in another attempt to get away and to his horror found himself falling down the shaft. His plan had worked too well, Hux had dropped him. He landed on a pile of trash and groaned in agony. There was no fire in the garbage incinerator, it only turned on every few hours. Kylo attempted to sit up but he finally lost consciousness and the world went black.

Up in her room, Rey was confused even as she sobbed. Snoke said Kylo was gone but where was he? He wasn't dead, she could feel his life force as strongly as she felt their baby. It had been nearly an hour since her talk with Snoke and still she could feel him, though she could tell he was weak and in horrible pain. Well, if Kylo was weak then she would have to be strong. This wasn't just about them anymore, she had the baby to think of. It was time to stop crying and take action. She was a survivor and had been all her life. There was no other choice, she would have to escape on her own and try to find Kylo later. He would want her to protect their child. _You can do this,_ she thought. _You are going to get out of here. You are going to find General Organa; you are going to have the baby somewhere safe. You're going to find Kylo and the three of you are going to be together. You've always done everything_ Rey had to believe these things if they were going to survive. She had to believe that they were going to be alright. Suddenly she felt an indescribable, burning pain. It shook her to her very core, she couldn't breathe. Then it was gone and she felt a horrible, crushing emptiness. Kylo was dead. Yet another person had left Rey but this time, she knew it was permanent. She had always believed her family would come back but she knew Kylo never would. But she couldn't sink in to despair, not now. "We'll be ok," she told the baby. "I've always done everything on my own, I can do this."


	21. Chapter 21

The more time that passed, the more nervous Finn got. They had decided it was best for Hux to go alone. It would be hard enough to convince Lyra to go with a man she knew and trusted, let alone the leader of the organization she had been brought up to hate. It was the right choice but that didn't make it any easier. Finn hated waiting. He paced around the camp, furiously organizing supplies and worrying. What if the plan didn't work? What if Hux couldn't convince Lyra to go? What if he did but something horrible happened along the way? But what if the plan did work? That terrified Finn almost as much, maybe even more. He would meet Rey's daughter. _Lyra,_ he corrected himself. What would she be like? After being raised by Snoke, she was bound to be more than a little messed up. What if she was too dark to be saved? Then again, maybe she could be. Maybe everything would turn out alright. He could save Rey's daughter and take her home to her grandmother. Finn reorganized their rations for what had to be the 10th time that day. Where was Hux? As if on cue, Hux's ship came into view. Finn felt his heart begin to pound. He stood up and brushed himself off. He hadn't been this terrified in years, not since fleeing the First Order. As the ship landed, Finn found himself actually beginning to shake. It was time. The doors opened and Hux got out. He walked forward for a moment, then looked back. Seeing that no one was following him, he walked back to the ship and motioned to someone inside. This time, a raven haired girl followed him.

Finn couldn't believe his eyes. She really did look like Rey. But he had never seen his friend make that face before. Lyra's face was twisted in a deep scowl, her hazel eyes blazing with anger. Hux claimed she was only 17 but Lyra looked years older. Finn began to move towards them, slowly at first and then at a run. "Finn, stop!" Hux cried. But it was too late. Finn felt himself fly through the air, he hit the ground with a thud. The girl had force pushed him.

"What was that for?" he asked once he caught his breath.

"Lyra, what did I tell you? Hear the guy out first," Hux said.

"Fine then. Talk," Lyra growled. She glared at Finn. "Go on resistance scum, tell me about my mother. Hux said you knew her, prove it to me."

Finn pulled himself off the ground and starred at Lyra. He didn't know where to begin.

"Come on then," Lyra snapped. "Tell me about my mother. Prove that this isn't a trap."

"Your mother was very special to me," Finn started. "She was the first person to really believe in me, she gave me courage." He took a deep breath. "She was my best friend, but she was more than that. I was in love with her."

Lyra's frown lifted for a moment and she looked confused. "In love? You two were in love?"

Finn sighed. "She didn't feel the same way about me, but she was my friend. I was devastated when Snoke took her."

Lyra's angry glare returned. "Then why didn't you rescue her? Why did you leave her to die?"

"No one could find her, Lyra. Believe me, we all tried. Snoke had her well-hidden."

"And… I'm assuming you didn't know about me?"

"I had no idea. If I had known about you, I would have been looking all this time." Finn was pleading now, hoping Lyra would believe him. "I never gave up hope of finding your mother and I'd have never given up on you."

Lyra still looked doubtful. "Come here. I want to get a closer look at you."

Finn walked over to the girl and stood directly in front of her. She reached out her hand, as if she were going to caress his face. Instead, Finn felt a strange pushing sensation and then a terrible pain. Then, it stopped. Lyra pulled her hand away, then turned to Hux.

"I believe you know. He is telling the truth." She didn't look particularly happy about it. She seemed to deflate, her scowl melted into a look of defeat. It was as though her worst fears had been confirmed. Finn wanted to comfort her but realized he had no idea how. He didn't know this girl at all. Hux was right, she wasn't Rey. To his surprise, Hux came to the rescue.

"Remember what I said. I'm here to help you. So is Finn."

"Why, because he had a little crush on my mother?"

"You can trust me," Finn chimed in. "I'd have never done anything to hurt her and I'd never hurt you."

"All this talk about my mother," Lyra grumbled. "What about my father? I want to hear about him."


	22. Chapter 22

Rey should have been used to waiting, she had been doing it her entire life. Compared to the years she spent waiting for her family, these weeks should have been nothing. But waiting for an opportunity to escape was so much harder, there was so much to lose. What would happen to her baby if she failed? What would happen to her? Kylo was already dead, that much was certain. His force signature was gone, leaving Rey with a horrible feeling of emptiness and sickening fear. If she were to die, their child would have no one. No one but Snoke… no, she couldn't think about that. It was too painful. _I'm starting to sound like Kylo_ , she thought. _Focus, focus on the plan._ The sad part was, Rey didn't really have much of a plan. She was just waiting, hoping for an opportunity. So far, there was nothing. Snoke was careful. Rey had been confined to her rooms for a month now and her only visitors were the droids that delivered her food and the medical droids that came to give her checkups. The door shut behind them, locking before Rey could even move. Everything with the baby was going well, they said. Rey could have told them that. The tiny creature made itself known in a variety of different ways now, including morning sickness. But every day that passed terrified her, every day brought her closer to the birth. After giving birth, she would no longer be useful. Rey was certain Snoke would have her eliminated. Then the poor baby would be all alone, left in Snoke's eager hands. That was not an option. Rey would have to escape and soon, before she got too big. If no opportunities presented themselves, she would have to create one.

Rey checked the time. The incredibly punctual medical droid would be here in about two minutes. This plan was risky, there were so many things that could go wrong. However, Rey had to try. She couldn't sit and wait anymore. Taking the knife she had hidden away from her lunch, she opened up a line of large cuts on her forearm. The blood immediately began to flow. _Please hurry_ , Rey thought. _Don't be late._ Maybe this idea had been a horrible mistake,her head was already growing foggy. She stumbled over to her bed and lay down. The darkness grabbed her and she lost consciousness.

The infirmary was cold and Rey was covered only by a thin blanket. They had stitched up her arms, liquid from a bag flowed into her hand through a tube. Rey sat up, still a bit groggy, and looked around the room. Just as she had hoped, it was blissfully empty. She pulled the IV from her hand, wincing at the pain. Throwing the blanket aside, she stood up. They had taken her clothes, leaving Rey dressed in only a thin shift. Not ideal but this was no time to be picky. She walked slowly toward the door, half expecting to be caught. Nothing. Reaching for the door, she expected to find it locked. It wasn't. Rey opened the door as quietly as possible and slipped out. Too weak to run, Rey walked as quickly as she could. _I just have to find a hanger_ she thought. _If I can get to a ship, I can get us out of here._ Ducking into a side passage to avoid a group of Stormtroopers, Rey couldn't help but smile a little. The plan just might work. What would Finn think when she landed at the base in a white nightgown? Forget that, what would he think about her being pregnant? _Don't get ahead of yourself,_ Rey thought. _You have a long way to go._ The crowd passed and Rey continued on her way. There had to be a hanger around here somewhere. Suddenly there it was, right in front of her. Rey breathed a sigh of relief. There had to be a ship around here she could fly. Rey ran forward, then stopped in her tracks. She gasped. Hux stood in front of her, holding a blaster. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, the general spoke.

"Going somewhere, scavenger?" he asked.

"Please," Rey begged. "I can tell you know this is wrong. Pretend you didn't see me, please let me leave."

"You don't know anything," Hux said. He walked toward Rey, blaster pointed right at her belly. Taking a chance, Rey pushed the blaster out of his hand with the force. Then she threw Hux to the ground. Running forward and reaching for the blaster, Rey was stopped by something else. Something inhuman. She found herself unable to move, unable to think. A chilling voice filled her head.

"You shouldn't have run," it hissed. "That child is mine."


	23. Chapter 23

Lyra sat at the edge of the camp, staring into the thick vegetation. She had been sitting that way for hours now and was in no hurry to move. Thankfully, both Hux and Finn had left her alone. She wasn't in the mood to talk. Her entire life, she had trusted and obeyed the Supreme Leader. He had given her a home, trained her, and promised her a glorious future. Now her entire world was shaken, all of her beliefs destroyed. The Resistance, the organization she had despised her entire life, had not taken her parents away. They had not abandoned her. Snoke had murdered them, had murdered her father by his own hand and caused the death of her mother. If not for him, Lyra might have grown up with a loving family. Parents, a grandmother, maybe even siblings. What would her life have been like? She couldn't even imagine. From what Finn said, Rey would have been an amazing mother. She had been kind, strong, and loving. Kylo… she wasn't so sure. Finn had carefully avoided the question, claiming he hadn't known him very well. Hux had said a little more, but not much.

"I didn't know him very well either," he had said. "Not personally anyway. He wasn't exactly friendly but I know he loved your mother. He loved her so much that he was going to leave the First Order." He'd sighed. "Snoke said they had a connection from the moment the met, he could sense it. He pushed them together, so they would have you. He wanted someone he could train from birth. He killed your father so you could replace him."

"So he died because of me?"

"No, this is not your fault." Hux put a comforting arm around her. "Snoke had this whole thing planned from the beginning. Your parents died because of him and him alone."

Hux seemed sincere but he was hiding something, Lyra could sense it. She was not being given the full story, there was more to it. Had her father really died by Snoke's hand? Looking across the clearing she saw Finn organizing supplies, trying to keep busy as usual. He was a good man, a quick look into his head had told her that much. He believed Hux's story and truly wanted to help her, he felt he owed her mother some sort of debt. He was telling the truth when he said he would never hurt her. She could trust him. But why did any of that matter? What was she going to do? Finn might welcome her with open arms but she doubted anyone else would be so forgiving. She had tried to kill her own grandmother. She had destroyed a resistance base. She had killed a lot of people. Lyra buried her face in her hands, her eyes filled with tears. Maybe she should just runaway, disappear somewhere. There was no reason to stay. She would never be accepted; she would never have a home. She would never have a family.

"Lyra," a voice whispered.

Lyra picked her head up and looked around for the source of the sound. There was no one around.

"Lyra," it said again. The voice was coming from the trees, beyond the clearing. Lyra stood up and peered into the jungle. She couldn't see anyone there.

"Hello," she whispered. "Is anyone there?"

"Lyra," the voice replied.

"Yes, it's me!" Lyra was getting frustrated. "I'm right here!"

"Lyra," it was a different voice this time. The first voice was male, this one belonged to a woman. "My baby, my little girl."

"Where are you?" Lyra asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm so sorry," the first voice whispered. "I didn't protect you."

"I wanted you so badly," the woman insisted. "We both did."

The voices were getting farther away, moving into the jungle and leaving Lyra behind.

"Come back!" Lyra cried. "Who are you?"

"Lyra," was the only reply.

She looked back at Finn. He was heavily concentrating on his task and didn't seem to be paying attention. Hux stood over by the ship, deep in thought. He wasn't looking either. Following the mysterious voices, Lyra left the clearing and walked in to the forest.


	24. Chapter 24

Hux wasn't used to feeling sorry for people. The weak and helpless had always disgusted him, inspiring contempt rather than pity. Those who allowed themselves to get into bad situations deserved what they got. So when the Supreme Leader put him in charge of the girl, Hux was confident that he wouldn't be affected by her sorry state. She wouldn't be able to take advantage of his compassion; he didn't have any.

"The droids are too easily fooled," the Supreme Leader had said after the scavenger's foiled escape attempt. "I need someone to look after her, someone strong enough to resist her mind tricks. I know I can rely on you, General."

"I will not fail you Supreme Leader," Hux replied.

"I know how shaken you were by the situation with Kylo Ren," Snoke rumbled. "Prove to me my faith in you is not misplaced or there could be…consequences."

Hux tried to keep his voice steady. "That was a momentary lapse, Supreme Leader. I recaptured the girl only a few hours ago, I'm confident in my abilities."

"Go then. Go check on your prisoner. She's in your care now, make sure she does nothing to harm herself or the child."

So Hux had gone to her, expecting to find the scavenger in a shameful state. Instead, he found her sitting calmly in an arm chair. She seemed to be expecting him.

"Hello General," she said with ice in her voice. "I assume you are here to babysit me."

Hux was taken aback. Despite himself, he was impressed. The girl was braver than he thought. She was strong. But he couldn't let that affect him.

"The Supreme Leader sent me," he said. "After your little stunt he decided more precautions were needed."

"I'm not surprised. Well, don't worry. I won't be trying that again."

Hux didn't believe her for a second. "Don't expect me to buy your little routine. You're going to run again the minute you get the opportunity."

"I mean it. I know it's over. I can't risk hurting the baby." She sighed. "It's all I'm good for now, being a human incubator." She didn't seem to be talking to Hux anymore. "I was going to be a Jedi, I was supposed to be great. If not great, then at least happy. I was in control of my own life for the first time. Now look at me."

Hux didn't know what to say. Rey hadn't fallen apart; she wasn't begging for her life. She seemed so… resigned. Somehow, that affected Hux way more than tears even had.

"Even if I did escape, where would I go? I hadn't thought of it before but Snoke would follow me no matter where I went. Nothing will stop him. I'm as good as dead already."

"You could live," Hux whispered. "If you cooperate, Snoke may keep you around. You could be useful to him."

Rey gave a hollow laugh. "Please. You don't believe that any more than I do. Snoke doesn't want me, he wants my baby. I bet that's the whole reason he brought me here. He'll get rid of me the same way he did Kylo."

"You don't know that," Hux insisted. He had no idea why he was trying to comfort the girl, she had gotten herself into this mess by giving into her lust. Clearly she deserved this, just as Ren had deserved what happened to him. Then why was it so hard to see her like this, still so strong in the face of death? He couldn't stay here anymore. "I'm leaving but I won't go far. Snoke has me staying right next door and I'll be checking in on you."

"I'll be right here," Rey said. "Don't worry, your baby maker isn't going anywhere."

Hux turned away from the girl and left the room. Once in the corridor, he leaned against the wall for a moment. He wished this assignment had been given to someone else, anyone else. Seeing Rey like that day after day would be unbearable. No amount of glory was worth this. He shuddered. For the first time in his life, he felt compassion. And he absolutely hated it.


	25. Chapter 25

Lyra pushed through the dense jungle. The air was thick with moisture, making breathing difficult. The voices continued to whisper, leading Lyra further away from the clearing. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, she took in her surroundings. Trees, vines, bogs. Nothing else. There was no one around. Who did the voices belong to? Was she going mad?

"Lyra," the female voice said again.

"Lyra," the male echoed.

"Show yourselves," Lyra said in her most commanding voice. "I'm done playing this game."

She began to walk again, finally coming to another clearing. The air was slightly cooler here, mist rose up from the ground. Frustrated, Lyra sat on a rock and sighed. Suddenly, she wasn't alone. Two figures had appeared before her. They were the translucent forms of a man and woman. The man, a tall figure with a mop of black hair, spoke first.

"I can't believe it. You're so beautiful." He looked at the woman and smiled. "She looks just like you."

"You're so big," the woman said wistfully. She was much shorter than the man, beautiful but sad. "You were so small the last time I saw you."

"Who are you?" Lyra asked. "What are you?"

"Your parents," the woman answered. Her voice was shaking. "I'm your mother, Rey."

"That can't be true," Lyra replied. "My parents are dead. I'm alone."

"You've never been alone," the man who claimed to be Kylo Ren said. "We've always been with you."

Lyra didn't know what to think. Could these figures really be her parents? If they were, where had they been all her life? Why hadn't they helped her?

"We couldn't show ourselves, Snoke kept us away from you." Rey seemed to be able to read Lyra's mind. "But we've been with you your entire life. "We've been guiding Finn and Hux. We knew they could help you."

"You have to let them," Kylo Ren insisted. "Let them be there for you the way your mother was for me."

Lyra was overwhelmed, sad and angry. "Let them be there for me? Hux murdered you, he let my mother die. And he's hiding something, I don't trust him."

"He's kept his promise to me," said Rey. "He promised to look after you and he did. The promise changed him, his love for you changed him."

"But that doesn't change what he did!" Lyra cried.

Kylo reached out, as though he wished to touch his daughter's face. "The past is the past. Nothing can change what Hux did. It doesn't matter."

Lyra couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But he let me stay with Snoke all those years, he let me believe those lies! He let me think you abandoned me!"

"I was abandoned as a child; it breaks my heart to think that you went through the same thing." Rey stepped closer to Lyra. "But Hux did his best, Snoke is persuasive."

"I'm an orphan because of Hux," Lyra snapped. "I hate him."

"Hux isn't responsible for what happened. It was Snoke," Kylo answered. He seemed angry himself. "This was all his plan."

Lyra was fuming. "Snoke. I swear, I'm going to destroy him."

"We don't want you to seek vengeance," Rey said firmly. "We want you to live a good life. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy."

"I'll never be happy while he's alive," Lyra insisted. I'm living on borrowed time as it is. He's probably searching for me already."

"Leave that to the resistance," Kylo said fiercely. "Find your grandmother, she'll make sure you're safe."

Lyra was unconvinced. "She won't accept me, not after what I've done. No one will."

Kylo looked at his daughter and sighed. "You may look like your mother but you sound exactly like me. I never thought anyone would be able to accept me, not until your mother. I couldn't see the truth. My mother would have taken me back in a heartbeat, no matter what I had done. And she'll do the same for you."

Lyra felt herself beginning to break down again, tears were welling up in her eyes. "Why couldn't you have just stayed alive?" she whispered. "Wasn't there anything you could have have done? You left me all alone." She wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I did everything I could, Lyra. So did your father." Rey looked as though she might start to cry too. "But Snoke wanted us gone, there was nothing we could do."

"Believe us," Kylo Ren begged. "We wanted to stay with you so badly. All I wanted to do was protect you. Watching you suffer like this is the worst pain I've ever endured."

"It's so unfair," Lyra muttered. "And it's all Snoke's fault." Lyra looked at the ghosts of her parents, the people who should have been around to keep her safe. The people who should have been there to love her. _Snoke is going to pay for this_ , she thought. _He'll regret the day he decided to kidnap my mother._


	26. Chapter 26

Time dragged by, the months slowly passed. The baby grew, making it more and more difficult for Rey to move normally. Not that it mattered, there was nowhere to go anyway.Her world was confined to just these few rooms. Boredom was a constant problem; Rey read everything she could get her hands on and napped for several hours a day. She took long showers and spent long stretches of time in front of the mirror, arranging her hair in intricate styles. Anything to keep her distracted, anything to keep her from thinking about future. Was there even a world beyond these walls anymore? Did life go on? What were Finn and Poe doing? How was Chewie? Was anyone looking for her? Even if they were, Rey knew she wouldn't be found. Snoke had seen to that. He'd made her prison even tighter than before, there was absolutely no way to escape. Her only company was the red haired general, Hux. He checked on her once or twice a day, bringing her meals with him. He'd stay, watching to make sure she ate all her food. After his first visit, Rey had ignored him for several weeks. But as time passed and she grew more restless, Rey found herself growing desperate for someone to talk to. Even if that someone was Hux.

"Good morning scavenger," Hux had said one morning as her set her breakfast tray down on the table. He looked over at Rey and sneered. She'd done her hair in an elaborate fashion, with braids piled on top of her head. "Nice hair," he said. "Going somewhere nice?"

"Yes, I'm going to a ball later." Hux looked taken aback, Rey never answered him.

"You'll have to let me know how it goes," he replied.

"Actually, I'm thinking about skipping it. I might just stay here and read _The Old Republic_ for the 90th time. I'm getting too fat for a ball gown. Besides, Kylo isn't available to take me." Hux grimaced, Rey knew she had struck a nerve at the mention of her lost love. She pressed it further. "He's been so busy lately, you know. I haven't seen him in months."

"Shut your mouth," Hux muttered.

"What? Am I making you uncomfortable?" Rey flashed her most innocent smile.

"You know exactly what you're doing," Hux said. "And I won't stand for it."

"Why so upset?"

Hux didn't look at her. His voice was low, as though he were struggling to remain calm. "Don't talk about him. Never mention his name again."

"Why not? I just want to know when Kylo might be back." Rey's smile was beginning to crack, her voice was shaking. "I just want to know where he went."

Hux exploded. "Shut up! My god, you deserve whatever the fuck happens to you! I don't care if you eat that damn food, starve to death for all I care." He got up and left. As the door shut behind him, Rey began to cry. She was alone again.

Hux came back, he didn't have a choice. Rey went back to ignoring him, eating her food silently and waiting for him to leave again. Once the door shut, she'd begin to cry and wish he'd come back. The loneliness was gnawing at her. She'd go insane if she didn't talk to someone soon. Maybe she already had. Desperation finally drove her to speak to Hux again.

"Good morning," she said as he entered the room. This time, Hux ignored her. He set her tray down without a word. Rey continued anyway. "Ah, rations again. My favorite." Hux remained silent. Rey sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry about before. I just… I think I'm starting to go a little crazy in here."

"Just don't bring it up again," Hux finally responded.

"I won't, I promise." Rey was lonely enough to agree to anything. Now that she had begun to speak, she couldn't seem to stop. "I'm just so alone in here. You think I'd be used to it by now but I'm not. It never got any easier on Jakku. But at least then I had some interactions, even if it was just Unkar Plutt."

"Didn't have any friends on the junk planet?" Hux asked.

"Not one, not until I met BB-8 and Finn." Rey immediately stopped talking, realizing mentioning Finn may have been a mistake. To her surprise, Hux didn't seem to care.

"You never seemed like the type that needed friends," he said.

"Why do you say that?"

"You just seemed so… strong and independent."

Rey was surprised. "I didn't think you were paying any attention to me."

Hux gave a small grin. "Well, you're pretty hard to ignore." He lowered his voice. "I've never heard anyone talk to the Supreme Leader that way. Maybe not the smartest move but you've definitely got guts."

Rey couldn't help but smile at the compliment. Hux stayed until Rey finished eating, then got up to leave.

"See you tomorrow, Rey." Hux walked out and the door shut tightly behind him. Despite the bleakness of her situation, Rey found herself grinning. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had made a friend.


	27. Chapter 27

The first meeting could have been a lot worse. Lyra could have gone mad and killed them all. The whole thing could have been a trap by the First Order. Hux could have changed his mind and not returned, leaving Finn to wait forever. All things considered, the meeting had gone well enough. But Finn had been hoping for more. He'd been dreaming of that meeting since the moment he learned of Lyra's existence. He thought he'd feel a certain way when he met Rey's daughter, feel some sort of instant connection. Lyra may have looked like her mother but her attitudes and mannerisms were completely different. She was dark, intense. Maybe it was Snoke, maybe she just took after her father. That in no way diminished Finn's feelings for Lyra or his desire to protect to her. Somehow, it made them even stronger. He watched her sitting on the edge of the clearing, staring off into nothing. She seemed so broken, so in need of love. He would have given anything to take away her pain. Was this what it was like to be a parent? He wasn't sure he was ready for it.

"She'll be fine," Hux said. He'd walked over without Finn noticing. "She's a survivor."

"I'm just worried. What if she never adjusts?" Finn kept his voice low. Lyra didn't need to hear this. "We tell her she'll be fine but we don't know that. Sure, her grandmother will take her in no problem. But everyone else? I doubt anyone will be thrilled to have Kylo Ren's daughter around, let alone one trained by Snoke."

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Hux hissed back. "We can't keep her here forever."

"I know, I know. It's just… facing everyone is going to be really hard. We don't know how people are going to react. I don't want to put her through any more pain. You say she's strong but there is only so much a person can handle."

Hux sighed. "We don't' have a choice, Finn. What was the point in saving her from Snoke if we are going to keep her isolated? We have to do our best to give her a normal life. We owe it to her parents." Hux looked determined. He seemed to be talking to himself more than Finn. "I know we can get her through this, but we have to be strong. She needs us."

Finn frowned. "I'm starting to think it's more you needing her than her needing you. What is she, your path to redemption? Your way of making up for the sins of the past?"

Hux's face grew red. "Like you're one to talk! You don't care about Lyra, she's just a way to get your lost love back. I know why you feel so guilty about what happened to Rey, you were the one that drove her away!"

Finn felt as though he'd been punched, all the breath left his body. He'd had these thoughts for 19 years but never heard them voiced aloud. "You don't know what you're talking about," he whispered.

Hux sneered. "Don't I? Rey told me everything. She came back to visit after you woke up from the coma. You confessed your undying love for her and the two of you kissed. Then she freaked out and went running back to Skywalker, never to be seen again."

"Yeah, maybe I do feel guilty but it's nothing compared to you. I drove Rey away; you were her jailer. You were there when she died. I know you had something to do with Kylo Ren's death. You haven't watching out for Lyra out of the goodness of your heart, you do it to ease your guilt!"

"Don't you dare say that I don't care about Lyra." Hux sounded absolutely deadly. "I've been there her entire life; I know her better than anyone else. This might have started because of guilt and regret but I love that girl."

Finn sighed. "It's true, I don't know her very well yet. But I do care about her and I think she deserves a second chance. Nothing that happened was Lyra's fault, we need to try to forget about it and move on."

Hux sat down, looking defeated. "I've been trying for years."

Finn joined him on the ground. "Me too." They were quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, Finn stood up and looked around. Lyra was nowhere to be seen. "Hux," he said. "We have a problem."


	28. Chapter 28

Hux kept coming back, day after day. He'd sit and talk with Rey while she ate her food. Sometimes Rey was upbeat and the mood was light, the conversation interrupted by laughter. Other days, Rey was feeling down and it took on a much darker tone. Rey shared stories from her past and her old hopes for the future. She told him about her friends and how much she regretted hurting Finn. Hux wasn't sure why she was so open with him, maybe it was the loneliness. Maybe she was just afraid. Whatever it was, Hux found himself following her lead. He'd never let himself to be this honest with anyone. Weakness was a luxury he could never afford and he had never allowed himself to show any fear. His face was a mask, completely devoid of all emotion. It felt surprisingly wonderful to let the façade drop for an hour. With Rey he could be himself and he looked forward to their time together. However, he knew it was coming to an end. Rey was getting bigger; her due date was rapidly approaching. Once the baby was born, she wouldn't last long. Snoke would find a way to get rid of her. Hux could hardly stand to think about it. What if Snoke made him kill her? He didn't think he'd be able to do it. This was his fault; he'd allowed himself to get too close to her. It had to stop.

Every day he'd walk down the hall to Rey's room, his resolve firm. Today would be different. He'd be distant, cold. There would be no friendly conversation, no laughter. Their relationship would be that of a prisoner and her guard. Yet, it never worked. His plan would fade the moment he saw Rey's face. He'd push all thoughts of the future to the back of his mind and sit down for another talk. But the day finally came when he couldn't ignore the truth anymore.

He entered the room as usual, expecting to see Rey waiting for him. She was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he heard a moan coming from the bedroom. He raced through the door to find Rey curled up on the bed, her arms crossed over her stomach.

"Rey!" he gasped as he knelt down beside her. "Are you alright? Is it the baby?"

Rey didn't say anything for a moment, her face was contorted in pain. She leaned over and screamed into a pillow. "This can't be happening," she finally muttered. "I'm not ready."

"How long have you been having pains?" Hux asked. He put his hand on the bed, only to find it was damp.

Rey pushed herself up to a sitting position. "All night. I didn't want to call anyone." She sighed. "My water just broke a few minutes ago."

"We have to get you to the infirmary." Hux pushed a button on the wall to call the medical droids. He looked over at Rey. She must have been so afraid but she still didn't show it. All this time and she still hadn't been broken. His heart ached for her. "Hey," he whispered. "Everything's going to be alright." He didn't believe it and neither did Rey. She reached out and grasped his hand, clutching it like a lifeline.

"If I don't come through this," she said. "Please look after my baby. Just… make sure it doesn't grow up completely alone."

Hux couldn't deny the truth anymore, he couldn't pretend that everything was going to be alright. "I promise," he said solemnly. Rey wasn't done.

"If it's a boy, name him Finn. If it's a girl, Lyra." She smiled a little. "Kylo picked that one out." Another pain hit and Rey crumpled again. The medical droids arrived with a stretcher. Rey was gently lifted on and carried away. Hux followed swiftly behind, unwilling to let Rey out of his sight until she went through the double doors of the medical wing. "Don't forget!" she cried as the doors closed.

"I won't," Hux promised even though he knew she couldn't hear.

He waited for news. Hours rolled by and still there was nothing. He paced the hall outside the infirmary, unable to stay still. His mind raced. Finally, the doors opened and a droid came out.

"A healthy girl," it announced. "Alert the Supreme Leader."

Hux didn't move. "What about Rey?" he asked. "Is she alright?"

"The mother didn't survive," it proclaimed. "But the child lives."


	29. Chapter 29

Lyra marched forward, pushing the heavy branches aside. The talk with her parents had left her completely transformed. There would be no more tears, no more despair. Now she was angry and that anger had given her purpose once more. If it weren't for Snoke, Kylo Ren and Rey would still be alive. Lyra would have grown up loved and wanted. She would have had friends, a family. Instead, Snoke had raised her as a weapon. He'd brainwashed her and kept her isolated. He was going to pay for it.

The clearing came into view. Lyra saw Finn and Hux frantically searching the camp. When she stepped out of the jungle, Finn breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hux!" he called. "She's here!"

Hux raced over. "Lyra, where the hell were you? We were worried sick. I thought Snoke had found you."

"He doesn't need to," Lyra said flatly. "I'm going to him." She walked over to Hux's ship.

Finn looked completely flabbergasted. "What do you mean? Why?"

"I can't let him get away with what he did to me, to my family." Lyra began to ready the ship for take-off.

"You know that's not what your parents would want," Hux insisted.

"Yeah," echoed Finn. "They would want you to move on and be happy."

"I can't move on knowing that Snoke is alive while they're dead. I can't do it." Lyra willed them to understand. "Kylo and Rey… I saw them in the jungle. They would have been amazing parents. But I never knew them. I never had the chance to. All because of Snoke."

Finn was even more confused. "You saw them in the jungle?"

Hux ignored that part of the story. "Lyra, trust me. Revenge is not the answer." He stood in front of the entrance to the ship. "I'm not going to let you do this."

"Get out of my way," Lyra ordered.

"No." Hux crossed his arms stubbornly. "You're going to have to make me."

So she did. Lyra waved her hand and Hux lost consciousness, just like Phasma had earlier. Finn soon joined him. Dragging Hux out of the way, Lyra boarded the ship and took off.

The flight didn't take long, she soon arrived at Snoke's stronghold. Home sweet home. Lyra radioed in. "Tell the Supreme Leader Lyra is back. I was held up by the traitor Hux but I've disposed of him now." She hoped no one could sense the lie. "Lower the shields so I can land."

"Copy that," said the operator.

Lyra made her landing. One of Snoke's Knights of Ren approached her. "The Supreme Leader is pleased by your return. He'd like to see you immediately."

"Of course," said Lyra. "Can't keep him waiting." She made her way through the maze of corridors and stairwells, down to the throne room. Snoke was ready for her. She'd seen his face a million times before but never like this. Once, she'd worshipped him. Now, she could barely contain her disgust.

"I sense unrest in you, child." Snoke's voice was chilling. "Is it because of Hux's betrayal?"

"Yes, that must be it." Lyra tried to remain calm. "He and I were particularly close."

"Yes, you were. But I do not believe that's the reason for your unease." Snoke studied her. Lyra forced herself to make eye contact. "It's much more than that. Could it be that you have betrayed me too?"

Snoke got to his feet. Lyra opened her mouth to scream. Right at that moment, Hux came charging in. How he managed, Lyra didn't know but there he was. Her protector, her knight in shining armor. The only parent she had ever known. Snoke turned his rage to Hux, sending a blast of pure energy his way. It hit him in the chest and he fell to the ground.

"No!" Lyra cried. She raced to his side. Snoke laughed.

"I knew you'd be trouble, Hux. Luckily, the problem is easily remedied. He shot again. This time, Lyra intercepted it. Using a power, she didn't know she possessed, she took in the energy and made it even stronger. She sent it flying back at the monster. It hit Snoke right between the eyes. For a moment, he looked absolutely shocked. Then he crumpled and fell to the ground. He'd been destroyed by his own creation.

Lyra knelt down beside Hux and gathered him into her arms. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

"Lyra," Hux whispered. His voice was weak. "Thank you."

"For what?" Lyra asked through her tears. "This is all my fault."

"You saved me." Hux reached up to stoke her cheek. "You made my life worth living. I just wish I was going to be around to see who you become."

"Don't go," Lyra begged. "I need you."

"I needed you." Hux smiled weakly. "I love you, Lyra." He closed his eyes, his head dropped to the side. Hux died with a peaceful smile on his lips.


	30. Chapter 30

Hux didn't go to the Supreme Leader, not right away. He couldn't, not without seeing Rey for himself. Pushing past the droid, he entered the infirmary. The cold room was white and harshly lit. It smelled of antiseptic. Hux forced himself to walk over to the narrow bed where Rey lay. The first thing he noticed was her face. She looked oddly peaceful, almost as though she were enjoying a restful sleep. Her skin was sickeningly pale, her hair disheveled. There was a half-smile frozen on her lips. _Happy to be_ _reunited with Kylo,_ Hux thought. _Happy her suffering is over._ Somehow, the sight brought him a little comfort. That is, until he saw all the blood. It stood out painfully on the pure white sheet, spreading out from between her legs in a dark red stain. Her nightgown was covered in it as well. Hux had to turn away.

She must have been in so much pain. He'd been on the other side of the door. He should have tried to help her. At least held her hand so she knew she wasn't alone. This was no better than what he'd done to Kylo Ren, maybe worse. He had Rey had been something like friends.

"Isn't there anything you could have done?" he asked the droid. "With all your equipment?"

"We followed orders, sir." As was to be expected, the droid was completely devoid of emotion.

Hux knew what that meant. They had been told not to help Rey after the baby was born. If complications arose, all the better. Snoke wouldn't have to bother killing her. He should have seen this coming but he didn't think it would be so soon. Had she even gotten to hold her baby?

"How long did she survive after the birth?" he whispered.

"Just a few minutes, long enough to hold the child before she expired."

Good, at least she'd gotten to touch the thing she'd carried inside her so long. She'd gotten to look at the little person she and the man she loved had created together. Maybe that explained the smile. Suddenly, a new thought came to him.

"Where is the baby?" he asked.

"Just over there, sir." The droid gestured down the hall. "Being examined by a doctor."

With one final look at Rey and a silent apology, Hux left the room. As he got closer to the examination room, he began to hear cries. They were sharp wailings that could only belong to a newborn. He entered the room and there she was. The tiny creature lay on a table in the middle of the room, squirming and kicking her little legs. Her red face was scrunched up and tears were rolling down her round cheeks. Thick black hair covered her head. Suddenly, everything else disappeared. Hux reached down to stroke the baby's soft little foot.

"Sir, what are you doing?" The voice belonged to a woman wearing a white coat, entering information into a holopad.

Hux hardly looked at her, his eyes remained on the child. "I'm to look her over, before reporting to the Supreme Leader. Now leave, I'll call you back in a moment."

The Doctor looked doubtful but was not willing to argue with the general. He was one of Snoke's favorites after all. Once she'd gone, Hux gave into his urges. Reaching down, he drew the infant into his arms. He'd never held a baby before but was careful to support her head.

"There now," he whispered. "It's alright. Don't cry." He drew the baby closer to his body, bouncing her slightly. To his surprise, the child calmed down almost immediately. Her face relaxed and her eyes even drifted shut.

"See? I'm here, you don't have to worry about anything." He lowered his voice even more, though they were alone. "I made a promise to your mother. Nothing bad is going to happen to you, not while I'm around." The baby gave a small hiccup in response. "I'm glad we have an understanding," Hux said. He lay her back down reluctantly. As he leaned in to kiss her forehead, he remembered his other promise to Rey. He smiled for the first time that day. "Goodbye, Lyra."


	31. Chapter 31

Finn and Lyra sat in silence while they waited. Finn didn't need the force to sense the girl's anxiety. He hoped this meeting would go well. Lyra deserved it after all she'd been through. Hux's death had hit her hard, she was still grieving and would be for a long time. Finn understood that. He wasn't sure he'd ever get over Rey. But he couldn't live in the past anymore and neither could Lyra, they would move forward together. Poe would be there to help. He'd met Lyra the night before, when she and Finn had arrived on base. Poe had immediately accepted the girl, welcoming her warmly. Lyra hadn't quite come around to the pilot yet but it was only a matter of time. No one could resist Poe Dameron's charms for long. Everyone else was being kept away for now but it wouldn't last long. Gossip was flying around the base and people were curious. Lyra would have to face the world sooner or later. However, something important had to be done first.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Lyra asked. "I'm not sure I can stand it." She looked as though she were considering making a run for it.

"Not long." Finn put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "I promise; it's going to be fine."

"You don't know that," Lyra insisted. "What if she hates me?"

"She doesn't," Finn assured her. "When I told her about you, it gave her hope. The first hope she's had in years. She loves you already."

"Then she's screwed. Loving me is dangerous. Just ask my parents. Ask Hux."

Finn sighed. Lyra had come a long way but she still had a long road ahead of her. He was going to be by her side, no matter what. "You know that's not true, Lyra. I love you. I'm still here, aren't I?"

Lyra gave a small smile. "So you are." She placed her hand over his. "Don't leave. I don't want to meet her by myself."

Suddenly, the door to the command center opened. Poe poked his head in.

"She's here. Are you two ready?" he asked.

Finn looked at Lyra. She took a deep breath, then gave a nod. Poe opened the door all the way, revealing Leia Organa. The old general walked in slowly, looking just as frightened as Lyra. It was the only time Finn had ever seen her look unsure of herself. Lyra got to her feet and surprised Finn by walking over to Leia.

"I'm Lyra," she whispered. "I'm your granddaughter."

Without a word Leia pulled the girl into her arms, wrapping her in a tight hug. Lyra began to sob into her grandmother's shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry for everything."

Leia was crying too. "Oh, Lyra. You have nothing to apologize for."

Lyra pulled away from the embrace. "Snoke… he told me all sorts of things. About my parents, about the Resistance. I wanted to kill you."

"Snoke knew how to manipulate. But he's gone now, because of you. He can't hurt anyone now. You've saved so many people." Leia wiped away her tears.

"But I hurt a lot of people too."

"That wasn't you," Leia insisted. "Not really. Snoke used you, the way he used my son."

"I'm so sorry about your son," Lyra whispered.

Leia took a shaky breath. "I'd give anything to have him back."

"I've never heard much about Kylo Ren," Lyra admitted. "Finn didn't really know him and Hux only knew what my told him."

"For starters, I knew him as Ben." She sighed. "He did terrible things, but I never stopped loving him. I couldn't."

Lyra hesitated, then asked her question. "Could you tell me about him sometime?"

Leia sat down and motioned for the girl to join her. "Why not right now?"

Lyra sat beside her grandmother. Finn and Poe slowly left the room, giving the two some privacy. Glancing back at the pair, Finn felt a glimmer of hope. Sure, these were just the first steps in a long journey but Lyra wouldn't be making that journey alone. No matter what she'd have him, Poe, and her grandmother by her side. Somehow, he knew Rey and Kylo would be there too.


End file.
